Funny how quickly Democratic panic sets in once they realize that one of their deeply flawed candidates might actually cost them an election. After months of vigorously defending Graham Platner through the Nazi-linked tattoo scandal, sexting revelations, abusive ex-girlfriend stories, and offensive posts, the same party that insisted “he deserves a chance” has suddenly discovered that enough is enough now that a new allegation against him has surfaced.

Platner, a former Marine, is the Democratic nominee in Maine’s U.S. Senate race and is set to face RINO Senator Susan Collins in November. Or at least he was scheduled to. Many are saying that the chances of that happening now are pretty much zero.

The latest controversy centers on allegations from a former girlfriend, who told Politico that Platner, entered her home while intoxicated in 2021 and sexually assaulted her despite her repeated objections. Platner has categorically denied the accusation, calling it false and politically motivated. But unlike the earlier controversies that party leaders largely shrugged off, according to the Associated Press, this new allegation triggered a rapid exodus of endorsements and calls from top Democrats for him to withdraw from the race.

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High-profile Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer have spent months campaigning alongside Platner, brushing off the past scandals as little more than political distractions. But the Platner lovefest may finally be over. It turns out performative loyalty only lasts until the party starts worrying it could lose the seat. While Sanders hadn’t pulled his support of Platner as of the publication of this article, Schumer has.

Platner’s baggage hasn’t been a state secret. Democrats already knew about all of his other offenses. But apparently, the damage wasn’t bad enough for them. Until now.

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In addition to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), the Democratic National Committee has also pulled its support for Platner. Joining the exodus are U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who have also called on him to step aside.

Party leaders are finally acting like they believe the latest allegation is politically untenable. But in order to throw Platner under the bus, they have to have a replacement available. And maybe that’s what they’ve been working on all of this time. State law allows Democrats to name a new nominee if Platner withdraws in time. This has to be done before the deadline arrives – which is 5 p.m. on July 13). Then the party then has until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27 to officially name that replacement.

The clock is ticking and Platner might actually be seeing the writing on the wall. In a recent video release, he said, “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

Whether that reflection ends in a withdrawal remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Democrats didn’t suddenly wake up and discover Platner’s long list of controversies. They defended him through all of it—until it looked like he might actually cost them a Senate seat. Now the party leaders are rushing for the exits.