Graham Platner's Replacement Up for Grabs as Former Candidates Scramble to Fill the Spot
As the Democratic field takes shape, candidates are facing significant logistical challenges in their bids to replace Platner. With a truncated timeline, they must rapidly assemble campaign infrastructure, secure funding, and craft a winning message to appeal to Maine voters. The state party, still reeling from Platner's sudden exit, is working to provide guidance and support to the candidates, but the process is unfolding with unprecedented speed and uncertainty.
The compressed schedule has also raised concerns about the potential for voter fatigue and confusion, as Democrats who had previously supported Platner or other candidates now navigate a new and rapidly evolving landscape. "It's a huge challenge to get our message out and to get people to understand who we are and what we stand for in such a short period of time," said a campaign aide for one of the contenders.
Meanwhile, Senator Collins is watching the developments with interest, her campaign well-funded and poised to capitalize on any Democratic missteps. As the incumbent, she enjoys a significant advantage in terms of name recognition and resources, and her team is likely to seize on any opportunities to define the Democratic nominee as out of touch with Maine voters.
As the Democratic candidates scramble to establish themselves, they are also grappling with the implications of running in a high-stakes Senate race, where the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the balance of power in Washington. The pressure is intense, and the margin for error is slim, as the contenders strive to emerge as the strongest possible challenger to Senator Collins.
By July 27, 600 delegates must be selected and then decide on a candidate to replace Platner via an unprecedented nominating convention. Five hundred of them will be chosen by the state’s 16 county parties later this month at individual county meetings, with the number of delegates allocated to each county based on population. Delegates will be officially unpledged to any candidate at the convention, leading to what could be a raucous and unpredictable free-for-all.
The process for choosing delegates has not been formally announced, although a meeting announcement for the Oxford County Democrats said it was planning a county caucus on July 19 with all Democrats invited. This nominating convention will take place in a state that is crucial for Senate Democrats this cycle, as their road to a Senate majority runs directly through Maine, where Collins is the only Republican running for reelection in a state carried by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Adam Cote, a longtime Maine Democrat, described the situation as "crazy" and referenced the 1968 convention in Chicago, expressing hope that the upcoming convention would not be as divisive. The candidates had previously faced off in ranked-choice voting primaries, which limited negative campaigning and factional divides. However, with Platner's campaign imploded, the newly minted Senate candidates must now navigate the complex task of keeping their disgraced former ticket-topper at arm's length while winning over his supporters.
Many of Platner's former supporters have accepted that he needed to step down, but they are not enthusiastic about the new candidates. Andrew Estey, a 42-year-old volunteer photographer for Platner's campaign, criticized the renominating process proposed by the Maine Democratic Party. The plan is contingent on Platner withdrawing his candidacy with the secretary of state's office before the July 13 deadline. According to a person on the call, Platner told campaign staff that he plans to submit the paperwork on Monday.
Morris Katz, one of Platner's top political advisers, confirmed that the campaign would submit the paperwork to officially withdraw in time. Meanwhile, Shah launched his campaign on Thursday, flanked by several dozen supporters, and emphasized his progressive policy alignments with Platner, including support for Medicare for All and a pledge to not accept money from AIPAC. Shah's campaign is seeking to tie himself to Platner's populist platform, with introductory remarks from two former Platner volunteers who emphasized their trust in the former public health official.
The politics, though, have to come without their former standard-bearer: “I would not accept an endorsement from Platner, nor have I sought one,” Shah told reporters following his remarks at the event.
Persuading Platner’s base will be a core strategy for all of the new Senate hopefuls who are building out their strategies in real time. But each campaign also has its own spate of challenges to navigate in order to advance to the general election to face Collins.
Jackson, who was a close Platner ally during the primary and shared a political benefactor in Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), will have to distance himself from the oysterman. On Wednesday, he deleted several old posts praising Platner from his X account, and a spokesperson said Jackson “wanted to make [it] clear” he no longer supported him.
On Thursday, Jackson tried to turn attention back to the grassroots by unveiling a slate of over 50 endorsements — mostly from state lawmakers. He’s also secured backing from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Our Revolution, the Sanders-aligned progressive organization.
Bellows, the state’s secretary of state, will have to contend with the fact that she ran against Collins for Senate in 2014 and lost badly. A person close to Bellows said that she would not have entered the race if she did not think she was the best candidate to take on Collins this time around, citing her statewide experience.
Unlike the other former statewide candidates, Kleban is not as well-known to the Democratic base. He has more work to do to build a campaign infrastructure from scratch, while several of his opponents can reactivate lists of supporters and staff that were operating through Maine’s June 9 primary. A person close to him said Kleban hopes to build a base quickly by mirroring Platner’s fast-paced campaign and frequent town halls.
“Obviously, this is a very truncated period. But to the extent that he can do those sorts of things, he plans to,” the person said. “It’s going to be pretty aggressive.”
The compressed schedule has also raised concerns about the potential for voter fatigue and confusion, as Democrats who had previously supported Platner or other candidates now navigate a new and rapidly evolving landscape. "It's a huge challenge to get our message out and to get people to understand who we are and what we stand for in such a short period of time," said a campaign aide for one of the contenders.
Meanwhile, Senator Collins is watching the developments with interest, her campaign well-funded and poised to capitalize on any Democratic missteps. As the incumbent, she enjoys a significant advantage in terms of name recognition and resources, and her team is likely to seize on any opportunities to define the Democratic nominee as out of touch with Maine voters.
As the Democratic candidates scramble to establish themselves, they are also grappling with the implications of running in a high-stakes Senate race, where the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the balance of power in Washington. The pressure is intense, and the margin for error is slim, as the contenders strive to emerge as the strongest possible challenger to Senator Collins.
By July 27, 600 delegates must be selected and then decide on a candidate to replace Platner via an unprecedented nominating convention. Five hundred of them will be chosen by the state’s 16 county parties later this month at individual county meetings, with the number of delegates allocated to each county based on population. Delegates will be officially unpledged to any candidate at the convention, leading to what could be a raucous and unpredictable free-for-all.
The process for choosing delegates has not been formally announced, although a meeting announcement for the Oxford County Democrats said it was planning a county caucus on July 19 with all Democrats invited. This nominating convention will take place in a state that is crucial for Senate Democrats this cycle, as their road to a Senate majority runs directly through Maine, where Collins is the only Republican running for reelection in a state carried by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Adam Cote, a longtime Maine Democrat, described the situation as "crazy" and referenced the 1968 convention in Chicago, expressing hope that the upcoming convention would not be as divisive. The candidates had previously faced off in ranked-choice voting primaries, which limited negative campaigning and factional divides. However, with Platner's campaign imploded, the newly minted Senate candidates must now navigate the complex task of keeping their disgraced former ticket-topper at arm's length while winning over his supporters.
Many of Platner's former supporters have accepted that he needed to step down, but they are not enthusiastic about the new candidates. Andrew Estey, a 42-year-old volunteer photographer for Platner's campaign, criticized the renominating process proposed by the Maine Democratic Party. The plan is contingent on Platner withdrawing his candidacy with the secretary of state's office before the July 13 deadline. According to a person on the call, Platner told campaign staff that he plans to submit the paperwork on Monday.
Morris Katz, one of Platner's top political advisers, confirmed that the campaign would submit the paperwork to officially withdraw in time. Meanwhile, Shah launched his campaign on Thursday, flanked by several dozen supporters, and emphasized his progressive policy alignments with Platner, including support for Medicare for All and a pledge to not accept money from AIPAC. Shah's campaign is seeking to tie himself to Platner's populist platform, with introductory remarks from two former Platner volunteers who emphasized their trust in the former public health official.
The politics, though, have to come without their former standard-bearer: “I would not accept an endorsement from Platner, nor have I sought one,” Shah told reporters following his remarks at the event.
Persuading Platner’s base will be a core strategy for all of the new Senate hopefuls who are building out their strategies in real time. But each campaign also has its own spate of challenges to navigate in order to advance to the general election to face Collins.
Jackson, who was a close Platner ally during the primary and shared a political benefactor in Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), will have to distance himself from the oysterman. On Wednesday, he deleted several old posts praising Platner from his X account, and a spokesperson said Jackson “wanted to make [it] clear” he no longer supported him.
On Thursday, Jackson tried to turn attention back to the grassroots by unveiling a slate of over 50 endorsements — mostly from state lawmakers. He’s also secured backing from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Our Revolution, the Sanders-aligned progressive organization.
Bellows, the state’s secretary of state, will have to contend with the fact that she ran against Collins for Senate in 2014 and lost badly. A person close to Bellows said that she would not have entered the race if she did not think she was the best candidate to take on Collins this time around, citing her statewide experience.
Unlike the other former statewide candidates, Kleban is not as well-known to the Democratic base. He has more work to do to build a campaign infrastructure from scratch, while several of his opponents can reactivate lists of supporters and staff that were operating through Maine’s June 9 primary. A person close to him said Kleban hopes to build a base quickly by mirroring Platner’s fast-paced campaign and frequent town halls.
“Obviously, this is a very truncated period. But to the extent that he can do those sorts of things, he plans to,” the person said. “It’s going to be pretty aggressive.”
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