Maine Secretary of State Says No Official Withdrawal Notice Received from Senate Candidate Graham Platner
Maine officials confirm that Graham Platner has not yet submitted a formal, signed withdrawal filing, a requirement for Democrats to name a replacement Senate candidate by July 13.
The Maine Department of the Secretary of State reported that, as of Thursday morning, it had not received a formal withdrawal notice from Senate candidate Graham Platner. Deputy Secretary of State for communications Jana Spaulding said a public statement does not satisfy the legal requirement; a written, signed notice must be filed with the elections office, and it may be submitted by email with a PDF attachment.
State law gives Democrats until 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 13 to receive Platner’s official withdrawal. If the deadline is met, the party will have a two-week window, ending at 5 p.m. on July 27, to convene a nominating convention and select a new candidate to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
The deadline and procedural rules are intended to ensure an orderly replacement process ahead of the November election.