Patrick Dempsey Rules Out Maine Senate Run

Patrick Dempsey has ruled himself out of Maine's high-profile U.S. Senate race, ending speculation that the former Grey's Anatomy star could step in after Democratic nominee Graham Platner abruptly dropped out.

Platner withdrew Wednesday after a former girlfriend accused him of sexually assaulting her, an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

The Marine veteran and oyster farmer had won the Democratic nomination in June and was set to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins before his campaign unraveled.

In a video posted on X, Platner insisted his decision was not an admission of wrongdoing.

"We're not doing it because of the allegations," he said. "We're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power."

His withdrawal came just days before the deadline for Democrats to replace him on the November ballot and after prominent Democrats urged him to step aside.

Speculation quickly turned to Dempsey, a Maine native and founder of the Dempsey Center, as a possible replacement.

But in an editorial published Wednesday in the Portland Press Herald, Dempsey shut the door on a Senate bid.

"As I reflected on all of this, I kept coming back to one question: Do I truly want to serve in Congress?" he wrote. "After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no."

Dempsey said he believes he can make a greater impact outside elected office, pointing to his work through the Dempsey Center, which provides free support services to people affected by cancer.

Rather than endorsing a replacement, Dempsey said Maine needs a candidate who offers "a new approach to how we govern ourselves."

"Most of all, I want integrity," he wrote. "That may sound idealistic today, but it shouldn't."

The Maine Democratic Party must now choose a new nominee to take on Collins in one of the country's most closely watched Senate races.