Platner quits Senate race as Wells family seeks answers
A Maine Senate campaign ended under pressure, while a Mississippi teen’s death drew a new independent inquiry and wider attention.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Graham Platner has ended his campaign for U.S. Senate in Maine, forcing Democrats to find a replacement before a late-July deadline in a race the party sees as a key pickup chance. NPR also reported new developments in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose family has hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to seek answers after Wells was found dead off the Mississippi coast.
Platner, a Democrat, announced his exit after pressure from party leaders following an allegation from a former girlfriend that he raped her, NPR reported. Platner has denied the accusation.
In a video announcing the end of his campaign, Platner said the decision was not an admission of guilt and faulted what he called a “political system not built for normal people,” according to NPR. Maine Democrats now face a July 27 deadline to name another candidate.
Maine Democrats look for a new nominee
NPR’s Elena Moore reported that many Democrats consider the Maine race important to their hopes of winning Senate control. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a long-serving incumbent, is viewed by Democrats as vulnerable, Moore told NPR’s Up First.
The Maine Democratic Party is planning a nominating convention to choose a new candidate, according to NPR. Moore reported that Platner had built support by promising political change and focusing on issues including affordability.
Some of Platner’s supporters want the next nominee to carry on the energy he created, Moore reported. Strategists told NPR that a more seasoned candidate without scandal could still run on the major issues Platner raised, even if that candidate is less left-leaning.
U.S. strikes Iran as tensions rise
U.S. Central Command said the United States struck about 90 military sites in southern Iran overnight, including targets along the coast and near the Strait of Hormuz, NPR reported. Iran responded with air attacks on U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to NPR.
Kuwait’s military said it intercepted missiles and drones, NPR reported. Countries across the Middle East were on alert as the region prepared for possible further fighting.
NPR’s Emily Feng, reporting from Israel, said efforts to end the Iran conflict remain uncertain, with both Washington and Tehran appearing to wait for the other side to retreat first. Israeli media reported that Israel’s military was at “full readiness” for renewed war with Iran, according to NPR.
NPR reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz canceled a public event to hold an emergency security meeting. Feng said Israel’s government generally supports the latest U.S. strikes but that the United States’ broader aims remain unclear.
At a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump criticized Iranian leaders after recently praising them, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez reported. Ordoñez said Trump has mixed threats and diplomacy in his effort to end the conflict, leaving uncertainty about whether his warnings are policy or bargaining tactics.
Wells death draws national attention
Wells was found dead on Horn Island after a Fourth of July trip with friends, NPR reported. He had last been seen around 3 p.m. on July 4 at the island’s northwest tip and was the only person from his group who did not return, according to NPR.
Crump said his office will conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of Wells’ death, NPR reported. In an interview with Don Lemon, Crump said officials had not told the family of any suspicions of foul play.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has asked the public to send photos or videos that could help investigators determine what happened on the day Wells disappeared, according to NPR.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.