Maine Democrats eyeing the chance to replace U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner in the wake of a sexual assault allegation are trying to shape an unprecedented process by urging their party to name a new nominee in an open and transparent manner.
Former gubernatorial and congressional candidates who came up short in the June 9 primary have expressed interest and are in talks with supporters and the Maine Democratic Party, which has not clearly conveyed to potential contenders and their staffs the next possible steps, according to multiple Democratic sources.
The oyster farmer and military veteran, who weathered a bevy of controversies to boot Gov. Janet Mills from the Senate primary, has until 5 p.m. Monday to submit a withdrawal notice to state officials, and the Democrats would have until July 27 to name a replacement. Dozens of state and national Democratic lawmakers and organizations who rallied around Platner have abandoned the political newcomer’s bid and called for him to step aside.
Nirav Shah, the former public health chief who lost a gubernatorial run to former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, said in a post on X Tuesday that the process must be “transparent and open.”
“Anyone running for this nomination should agree to at least one televised debate and hold multiple public town halls across every corner of the state,” he said. “I am committed to doing that, if I run. Defeating [U.S. Sen. Susan] Collins means showing up everywhere and speaking with everyone.”
Jordan Wood, who lost to State Auditor Matt Dunlap in the 2nd Congressional District primary, similarly called for an “open, transparent and democratic process.”
“It’s really important that we do this all right … where the voters trust that they’re the ones who decided who the [nominee] was,” he said in an interview .
He added that he’s considering a run and has been “fielding calls since the news broke.” He credited Platner for building a “large successful progressive movement like we’ve never seen” in Maine, and touted his progressive stances and existing campaign infrastructure.
“It’s a big campaign and big following … second only to Graham,” he said.
Shah said he’s received hundreds of encouraging messages after Platner signaled he may drop out in a video denying the sexual assault allegation Monday. He also laid out a basic platform and noted he’s “not an establishment politician … not an insider,” but a “public servant who served our state in one of its darkest times.”
On Monday night before calling on Platner to drop out, former state Senate President Troy Jackson said in an interview that if Platner withdraws, he’s “very, very interested” and believes he’s the best person to face Collins. He filed paperwork to explore a run on Tuesday. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has also received many calls of support.
State Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, the runner-up to Dunlap, has posted several times on social media arguing that the potential replacement should not have close ties with Platner, as it could undercut their chances against Collins: “Any connections to Platner will doom that person’s campaign from the very beginning,” he said.
The Maine Democratic Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement Monday, the party said that whatever selection method is chosen it will be “open, transparent, and inclusive.”
But one member of the executive committee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said there’s been no communication from top party officials. Others say it’s possible there’s a pop-up convention or that the state party committee will work with individual county party leaders in a virtual nominating process.
“The Maine Democratic Party hopes that we have broad participation of Mainers and Democratic voters in what happens next,” the statement said. “In no scenario is there a legal possibility for a nominee to be selected by an individual campaign.”
BDN writer Sawyer Loftus contributed to this report.