The Maine Democratic Party on Tuesday night accused Graham Platner's campaign of trying to influence the process to replace him as the U.S. Senate nominee, calling the demands unacceptable given the sexual assault allegations against the candidate.
Party Rejects Platner's Influence
“The Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our U.S. Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent, and fair,” said Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director, in a video posted to social media. “Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.”
Murphy-Anderson stated that the party has informed Platner's team they will not play a role in determining the next nominee and that Platner needs to drop out as soon as possible. The blunt statement underscores the extent of anger at Platner and his allies, with many believing they continued to push a candidate with glaring red flags, wasting millions of campaign dollars and putting the party’s Senate chances at risk.
Platner's Team Responds
Platner’s team insists they were only trying to respect the voters who backed him in the primary and understand the logistics of ending the campaign. “The Platner campaign has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like. At no point has the campaign tried to ‘put its finger on the scale,’” a campaign spokesman said. “Over 150,000 Mainers voted for this movement, and over 15,000 Mainers volunteered their time and energy to it. While Graham wouldn’t want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision — not the political establishment.”
Internal Party Disputes
The spat comes as the larger party bickers over the root causes of Platner’s failures, both to determine the political blast radius and to shape the likely contest to replace him. One Democrat with knowledge of the discussions said Platner’s team is trying to ensure a candidate who shares his progressive ideology ends up as the nominee, leading to clashes with other Democrats’ desire to distance the replacement from the damaged candidate and moral insistence that a candidate accused of sexual assault should not wield power. “He does not have the right to shape the field anymore,” said the Democrat, speaking anonymously. “And if he did, it would only hurt the party in November. Everyone understands that but them.”
While Platner’s campaign has stopped fundraising and social media advertising, there is yet to be a clear promise to drop out. As Platner delays, potential candidates are rushing to establish campaigns. Former state Senate President Troy Jackson filed with the Federal Election Commission, while former public health official Nirav Shah and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows both made their intent to run clear. Maine Beer Company owner Dan Kleban, state Rep. Valli Geiger, and former Senate candidate Jordan Wood are also considering bids.
Ideological Alignment of Potential Candidates
Most potential candidates fit Platner’s progressive ideology: Jackson, Geiger, and Wood endorsed him over Gov. Janet Mills during the primary, and Bellows is seen as a progressive. Shah, considered a leading moderate during his gubernatorial run, has shown a progressive streak on federal issues, endorsing Medicare for All and cutting aid to Israel.
Democrats remain unsure how a new nominee will be selected, but discussions have increasingly focused on holding a statewide convention later in July. In a statement Tuesday, Shah indicated he would favor a debate and mini-primary. “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. “Defeating Collins means showing up everywhere and speaking with everyone.”
Candidates Develop Pitches
Jackson, while insisting Platner drop out, indicated he is the best choice to continue Platner’s movement. Kleban is likely to emphasize his ties to Hannah Pingree, the Democratic nominee for governor, and argue for generational change against Collins. Bellows will argue she can best unite the party. “I believe I am uniquely fit to unite Mainers and defeat Susan Collins in just over 100 days,” Bellows said.
Broader Party Infighting
The collapse of the high-profile progressive campaign led to ideological infighting on social media, with the left arguing the party should continue in the spirit of the primary winner, while centrists argue Platner’s failings indicate progressives’ reckless approach. Many Democrats outside Maine trace Platner’s failure to Fight Agency, the ad firm behind New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, which worked for Platner and other progressive candidates. The firm has irritated the Democratic establishment, and many hope Platner’s end discredits them. “Morris Katz and Rebecca Katz are throwing a tantrum and holding the Maine Senate race hostage in collusion with a credibly accused rapist,” said one Democratic strategist. “No serious campaign should ever hire them again.”
However, anger at Fight Agency distracts from other party-wide failures, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s fixation on Gov. Janet Mills as a potential challenger to Collins, which ended with the governor running out of money before the primary. And a failure to spot scandals is not unique to the left: Rep. Eric Swalwell saw his career implode after multiple women accused him of rape and sexual assault.
