Maine Democrats Scramble After Embattled Platner Exits Senate Race
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Graham Platner, who faced serious allegations of sexual assault, has withdrawn from the U.S. Senate race, forcing the Maine Democratic Party into a rushed convention on July 25 to pick a new candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Graham Platner, the embattled Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, submitted his withdrawal paperwork to the secretary of state on Friday, abruptly ending his campaign amid unresolved allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied. The Maine Democratic Party, now in disarray, announced a nominating convention for July 25, where 601 delegates from all 16 counties must hastily select a replacement for the November ballot.
In a letter posted to social media, Platner claimed his supporters wanted 'a new kind of politics' that supposedly reflects ordinary Mainers rather than 'billionaires, oligarchs, or the political establishment.' He vaguely alluded to continuing his movement, but offered no concrete plans.
Platner’s withdrawal, under the cloud of scandal, leaves Democrats scrambling to find a viable challenger to incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who remains a strong and experienced leader in a state pivotal for Senate control. Party chairman Charlie Dingman insisted that delegates will select a nominee with the 'energy, ideas and popular support' to take on Collins, but acknowledged the 'enormous' challenge facing a fractured party.
State law allows Democrats to replace Platner before the general election if a new nominee is named by July 27. Several Democrats, including establishment figures and left-wing activists, have already expressed interest: former CDC director Nirav Shah, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, former congressional candidates Jordan Wood and Paige Loud, and former Senate candidates David Costello and Andrea LaFlamme. State Rep. Valli Geiger has also shown interest but has yet to formally enter the race.