Maine Democrats Face Tight Timeline to Replace Senate Candidate

Graham Platner suspended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine after misconduct allegations surfaced. The state party now has until July 13 to confirm his withdrawal and until July 27 to name a replacement for the November general election against Republican Senator Susan Collins. Several candidates have stepped forward in recent days.

Public health expert Nirav Shah, who ran for governor earlier this year, said defeating Collins is the top priority and called for a transparent selection process that includes at least one televised debate and multiple town halls. Former state senator Troy Jackson, who campaigned for governor and appeared alongside Platner at events, also announced his Senate bid.

Jordan Wood, who ran for a U.S. House seat earlier this year, switched to the Senate race and pledged to run a grassroots-funded campaign without corporate or lobbyist contributions. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who lost to Collins in 2014, launched her Senate bid on Thursday.

She said she aims to unify Democrats and defeat Collins. Dan Kleban, founder of the Maine Beer Company, reentered the race on Wednesday after suspending an earlier bid.

Democrats plan to hold a nominating convention with about 600 delegates. The party said there is an unprecedented amount of energy among supporters and that it looks forward to rallying around a new nominee. Platner stated in an 11-minute video that he would formally withdraw once confident the selection process would be open and transparent. He has not yet done so.

“I'm not a career politician. I spent the last 20 years building a small business that started at my kitchen table and now employs over 100 Mainers.”

Television actor Patrick Dempsey ruled out a run in a newspaper opinion piece. Local media reported that Platner encouraged state legislator Valli Geiger to run but did not issue an endorsement. It remains unclear whether Governor Janet Mills will reenter the race.