Democrat Graham Platner out of Maine Senate race amid sexual assault allegation
Platner said in his video announcement on Wednesday that he didn’t want to dictate the process of finding his replacement on the ballot, but apparently wanted to make sure it was an open choice before allowing his name to be removed from the ballot altogether.
He said the process “must reflect the will and values of the people who built this movement” in Maine, adding that “people in D.C. need to stay in D.C. Decisions shouldn’t be made in back rooms by people with political power.”
The Maine Democratic Party will have to walk a careful line in nominating a replacement in line with the policies Platner successfully ran while ensuring the new candidate can take on Collins and her formidable operation.
On Tuesday, Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon-Murphy Anderson accused the Platner campaign of “trying to put a finger on what this process looks like.”
“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate or what that process will look like,” Anderson said.
He added that the state party would announce its plan to replace Platner after his departure.
Senate hopefuls, meanwhile, expressed interest but acknowledged they had few details on how a new race would play out. On Wednesday, it seemed like every politician in Maine was attacking the Senate.
Economist Nirav Shah, who ran for governor of Maine earlier this year, said he is considering the candidacy but the process is unclear at this time.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said she was “still considering it,” and Dan Kleban, founder of the Maine Brewing Company, who suspended his first Senate campaign last year, said Wednesday, “I’m in, too.”
Another potential candidate, former state senator Troy Jackson, said he was exploring options.
Platner’s previous opponent in the Democratic primary, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, suspended her campaign ahead of the election because she was having trouble gaining traction.
Mills had the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, but Maine voters, fed up with the party establishment, turned to Platner’s outsider personality and populist views.
Platner officially won the Democratic nomination on June 9. It was not immediately clear whether Mills would revive his campaign.
