Politics
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A unique new Democratic U.S. Senate nominating race is under way, but Graham Platner still looms over the next fight to earn the support of his base and hundreds of delegates in an unprecedented process.
Several candidates have already entered the fray after Platner suspended his bid Wednesday after sexual misconduct allegations wiped out his political standing and financial support. The contenders include several who came up short in down ballot contests, all of whom backed Platner in his insurgent campaign to oust five-term Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins but later called on the oyster farmer to withdraw this week. Platner denies the allegations.
Now they face the challenging task of distancing themselves from a controversial candidate while rallying his progressive supporters. As Platner’s team defiantly contends national Democrats forced him out of the race and Republicans pounce on any candidate with Platner ties, 600 delegates — 500 elected in the counties and around 100 in the Maine Democratic State Committee — are poised to determine who faces Collins and in turn hold Democrats’ hopes of taking control of the Senate in their hands.
“Democrats learned the hard way that nominating Vice President [Kamala] Harris made it harder for her to distance herself from an unpopular President [Joe] Biden than it would have been if a governor had led the 2024 Democratic ticket,” J.J. Balaban, a Pennsylvania-based Democratic strategist and admaker, said. “Similarly, it could be dicey for Democrats to nominate someone who is tied too closely to Platner, given that he has now totally discredited himself.”
Jordan Wood, a former political aide who ran an unsuccessful 2nd Congressional District bid but hopes to replace Platner on the ballot, pledged to fight for Medicare for All, sweeping anti-corruption reform and to “stand up to [President Donald] Trump’s lawlessness” but said Maine Democrats are “the victims” of Platner, who shot a defiant video announcing his exit.
“There is not a grand conspiracy against Graham Platner,” Wood said.
A recurring theme among the top contenders is that the movement that inspired the record-breaking primary vote Platner received on June 9 wasn’t about any one candidate but rather about bringing new blood to a Republican and corporate-controlled Washington that both progressives and many moderate Democrats say has left Mainers behind.
The state Democrats described Platner’s base as “a vital part of our party” that deserves to participate in the replacement process. The candidates followed suit as they rolled out their post-Platner campaigns on Thursday.
Former Maine public health chief and gubernatorial candidate Nirav Shah, who said in an interview that he had “a pit” in his stomach when he read “horrifying allegations” of rape against Platner in Politico Monday, emphasized that he was “closely aligned” with the populist on policy. He cited support for Medicare for All, stopping all arms sales to Israel, and a “unifying principle that no one should live in poverty in America.”
Former state Senate President Troy Jackson, a progressive with significant labor support and a close ally of Platner during his own gubernatorial bid, has since said he does not want Platner’s backing. He said in an interview after the allegations surfaced that he was “very, very interested” in a Senate run and believed he had the best chance to beat Collins.
Jackson’s Senate campaign team said he’d locked up more than 50 endorsements within hours of launching, with most carrying over from his race for governor, where he came in third behind nominee Hannah Pingree and.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who finished fourth, touted her fights for marriage equality and protecting Mainers from Trump’s moves to acquire voter data. She also emphasized that her campaign would be about “the people of Maine,” which echoed Platner’s message throughout dozens of town halls across the state.
“It will be about the people who are sick and tired of getting screwed over, while the billionaires and massive corporations get special favors in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
Dan Kleban, the Maine Beer Company founder who exited the Senate race in October, jumped back in Thursday. He says he’s glad Platner is out of the race because it distracted from the task of beating Collins. But he noted on X and interviews that he shares “Platner’s view that the system is rigged against working people” and “Mainers are rightfully pissed off.”
Former Maine and Maryland government official David Costello, who came in a distant third in the Democratic Senate primary last month, told the Bangor Daily News Thursday that many Platner supporters “already know that my positions on most issues are similar to their own.”
Meanwhile, Republicans wait in the wings making the case that Democrats are in a lose-lose situation. A memo from the Collins campaign bashed both Platner and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who recruited Mills to run. The memo said Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico “fled like cockroaches when the lights came on” after Platner’s last scandal.
“Whoever they plug in is going to have [Platner’s] stamp of approval and be tainted, or will they plug in someone more palatable that Graham’s supporters won’t get behind, subverting results of the primary,” Kristen Cianci, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said.
Balaban countered that Republicans may be eating their words come November.
“Replacing Platner is clearly not what Collins wants, because it significantly increases the odds that she loses,” he said.