Contenders are lining up to replace Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner after a rape allegation cratered his campaign despite his insistence that it wasn’t true. The hopefuls largely hail from other major Maine races this year, including runners up for the gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and 2nd Congressional District primaries.
Names are listed in alphabetical order.
Shenna Bellows
Maine’s secretary of state ran unsuccessfully against Susan Collins in 2014 and came up short in a tight ranked-choice contest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination this year, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. She is one of four candidates who entered the race to replace Platner on July 9, the day after he suspended his campaign.
David Costello
The Old Town native and former government official in Maine and Maryland competed against Platner in the June 7 U.S. Senate primary. He re-entered the race on July 9.
Elizabeth Dickerson
The former Rockland city councilor and two-term Maine state rep was a late-comer to the short-notice race, entering on July 13, the same day that midcoast state Rep. Valli Geiger of Rockland dropped out of the race and endorsed Shenna Bellows.
Troy Jackson
The former Maine Senate president fell short of the gubernatorial nomination after a ranked-choice tabulation. The longtime labor champion has been a close ally of Platner’s but was quick to call for him to step down and position himself as a replacement.
Dan Kleban
The co-founder of Maine Beer Co. was a candidate for the U.S. Senate nomination but dropped out after Gov. Janet Mills declared her candidacy. He announced his interest in replacing Platner on July 8.
Paige Loud
The social worker ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Loud declared her interest in replacing Platner on July 8.
Nirav Shah
The former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director, who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, came in second place in the ranked-choice runoff for Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He announced his intention to run for the open Senate nomination on July 9, the day after Platner dropped out.
Jordan Wood
The former political operative from Bristol was an early candidate in the Senate race but dropped out in November 2025 when Platner and Gov. Janet Mills emerged as the clear front-runners. Wood shifted to compete in the Democratic primary for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District and finished third in the field of four candidates. He re-entered the newly open Senate race on July 9.
