Graham Platner is facing pressure from his own political party to quit his U.S. Senate campaign in Maine. The pressure came after Politico reported a sexual assault allegation against him, according to NPR.

A woman who said she dated Platner told Politico that he forced her to have sex with her. Politico published the story on July 6. The woman also spoke to CNN, according to a CNN post.

Platner said the allegation is not true. "Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue," he told Politico. He has not changed this denial.

But hours later, Platner told Politico something different. He said he was "taking the time to reflect" on whether to stay in the race. This was a softer statement than saying he would definitely stay and fight the allegation.

Within one day of the story breaking, Maine's Democratic Party called on Platner to leave the race. Other Democratic leaders at the state and national level did the same. The news kept spreading—NPR covered it on July 7, and the New York Times published a story about it that same day.

Things moved very fast. The allegation came out. Platner denied it. Then he said he was thinking things over. Then party leaders called for him to drop out. All of this happened in less than 24 hours, which gave Platner little time to control how his campaign was seen before his own party pushed him toward the door.

For other Democrats on Maine ballots, this situation created a difficult choice. They had to decide whether to distance themselves from Platner right away or risk voters linking them to a story that was still developing. Party officials also signaled to campaign donors that money tied to Platner might not be a safe investment as the general election neared and Senate control remained up for grabs.

According to reporting from NPR, Politico, the Maine Morning Star, and the New York Times, Platner has not sued anyone over the allegation and police have not opened an investigation. His official position is still that he did not do what the woman accused him of. The statement about "taking the time to reflect" suggested he might be moving toward leaving the race.

What comes next will probably depend on whether other women come forward or new details emerge. It will also depend on how much more pressure other Democratic leaders put on Platner. For now, there is no firm deadline for his decision.