Graham Platner to speak at labor rally, one of his first public...

Graham Platner, the former Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Maine, will be the featured speaker at a Labor Day rally in Ellsworth. The Sept. 7 event at Ellsworth City Hall is organized by Hancock County Activists, according to a notice on the Hancock County Democrats’ website, and it will include musical performances. Platner won Maine’s Democratic primary in June to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, but withdrew in July after Politico reported that a former girlfriend accused him of sexually assaulting her; Platner denied the allegation and said he was stepping aside to help defeat Collins. A party source said the rally is not hosted by the Hancock County Democratic Committee and has no affiliation with the Maine Democratic Party. After his exit, the state party nominated former Senate President Troy Jackson, who will face Collins in November.