Katie Glueck

Mr. Platner’s withdrawal, which comes after a woman accused him of rape, creates deep uncertainty in a race that both parties see as crucial to their hopes of winning the Senate.

Graham Platner’s bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended Wednesday, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal.

By and SULLIVAN, Maine — They told him that he was “the guy.”

Platner was guarded by an insular and zealously protective inner circle of advisers who did not always seem to grasp the seriousness — or strangeness — of what quickly became a steady drip of scandal.

The Democratic primary race for Senate in Maine is swiftly becoming a test of how liberal voters perceive risk and electability as their party searches for a path back to power.

Elaine Luria will face Jennifer Kiggans, the Republican incumbent who defeated her in 2022, in the highly competitive Virginia Beach-area seat. Both are Navy veterans.

The Rev. Adam Hamilton will be a serious underdog against Roger Marshall, a Republican, but Democrats think the state could be competitive if the November environment is favorable enough to them.

By The Rev. Adam Hamilton, the pastor of the largest United Methodist congregation in the country, won the Democratic nomination for Senate

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed had a strong showing in college towns, while Representative Haley Stevens did well in Black urban centers.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, defeated Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate, in a bitter and expensive race that had divided Democrats. Both moved quickly to encourage the party to come together.