Embattled Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner is facing mounting pressure to withdraw from the race following serious allegations of sexual assault and nonconsensual sexual behavior made by former partners.
Platner has denied the allegations, but the political fallout has rapidly engulfed his campaign and left Maine Democrats scrambling to find a replacement before a fast-approaching legal deadline.
The Maine Democratic Party, led by Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson, has publicly called on Platner to step aside. Party officials have also made clear that neither Platner nor members of his campaign will be permitted to influence the process of selecting a new nominee.
Murphy-Anderson said the party would not allow Platner or his campaign team to “put their thumb on the scale” as Democrats consider who should replace him on the November ballot.
Under Maine law, Platner must formally withdraw by July 13 for the party to replace him. A replacement candidate would then need to be selected by July 27.
Those deadlines have transformed an already explosive political scandal into a high-stakes succession battle that could reshape Maine’s U.S. Senate race.
Platner’s support among prominent Democrats has also reportedly collapsed. National and state party figures who previously backed his campaign, including U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have withdrawn their endorsements and called on him to leave the race.
Meanwhile, several Democrats are beginning to position themselves as potential replacements.
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to establish an exploratory committee, signaling that he may be preparing to enter the race.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah are also reportedly considering possible campaigns.
The Maine Democratic Party has said it intends to establish an open and transparent process for choosing a replacement nominee, while ruling out any effort by Platner’s campaign to control the outcome.
Platner’s campaign has denied attempting to improperly influence the selection process. A campaign spokesperson said the team is seeking to understand how the replacement process would work and wants Democratic voters and volunteers to have a voice in the decision.
But with the July 13 withdrawal deadline approaching, pressure on Platner is likely to intensify.
The controversy has left Maine Democrats facing a difficult choice: persuade their nominee to withdraw quickly and begin rebuilding around a replacement candidate, or risk entering the general election with a politically damaged nominee abandoned by much of his own party.
At this point P Hustle should stick it out. These heathers knew who and what he was. Maybe this was their plan all along so they could circumvent voters and crown a nominee. So much for no Kings.
Don’t let the oligarchy win, lol. Stay in, you won.
The democrat elites will do exactly what they did with biden and harris. THEY will decide who replaces him. It doesn’t matter what all those proggressive voters want, so shut up and do as you’re told.
For the Democrats Platner is kinda like that cheap mattress you bought because the color matches the curtains but after two months it fell apart and you now have Chronic Back Pain.Well Platner is like both the cheap mattress and Chronic Back Pain all rolled up into one for the Democratic Party.
The progressives in Maine are fighting for control of the democratic party in Maine. If platner stays in the race, the progressives win, if he leaves, the elites win.