Following Graham Platner’s formal withdrawal from the Maine Senate race due to unresolved allegations, the state’s Democratic Party is urgently seeking an alternative candidate to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Platner’s exit, which occurs after a rape accusation he denies, creates a critical timeframe for the party to identify a successor in a pivotal Senate race.
When Will Democrats Choose a Nominee?
The state party will host a nominating convention on Saturday, July 25, in Bangor. With a July 27 deadline to finalize a candidate, contenders face a compressed timeline to present their cases.
Who Is Running?
The crowded field includes:
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Troy Jackson, a progressive who served as Maine Senate president from 2018–2024 and ran for governor, finishing third in the ranked-choice primary.
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Nirav Shah, former director of Maine’s public health agency, who secured second place in the primary despite winning the most first-place votes.
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Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state, a progressive known for blocking President Trump from the 2023 Maine primary ballot.
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Jordan Wood, former chief of staff to California’s Katie Porter, who shifted focus to Maine’s Second Congressional District primary.
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Paige Loud, a 29-year-old social worker who placed last in the Second Congressional District primary.
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Dan Kleban, a brewery owner who withdrew from the Senate primary.
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David Costello, an environmental policy consultant who earned 8% of the Senate primary vote.
Candidates must submit 500 signatures—including 50 from eight counties—by July 21, along with written statements outlining their plans to sustain Maine’s grassroots movement.
Who Will Select the Nominee?
601 delegates will participate in the July 25 convention, comprising 101 state committee members and 500 county-selected delegates. County-level delegate selection remains fluid, with Androscoggin County Chair Carl Wilcox noting logistical challenges due to high participant numbers.
Voting will proceed in rounds, eliminating the candidate with the fewest votes each time until a majority is achieved.
Republican Senator Susan Collins declined to comment, stating, “It’s up to the Democrats to handle their internal process.”
Reporters Bayliss Wagner and Reid J. Epstein contributed to this report.
