Washington — Graham Platner’s transfer to droop his Senate marketing campaign after a girl accused him of sexual assault has prompted a mad sprint in Maine, as Democrats place themselves as doable replacements to tackle GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November.
After Platner formally recordsdata paperwork to withdraw, the Maine Democratic Social gathering could have till July 27 at 5 p.m. to pick out a alternative. The occasion introduced it will maintain a nominating conference, with particulars on the method forthcoming.
Whereas some have made clear they don’t seem to be , together with Rep. Jared Golden and actor Patrick Dempsey, a rising record of Democrats are making their curiosity clear.
This is who’s vying to interchange Platner on the poll:
Shenna Bellows
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows shortly jumped into the race for the Democratic Senate nomination. She stated in a social media put up she has taken on “robust fights for working folks” all through her profession, and added: “I am not stopping now.”
Bellows, 51, sought the governor’s mansion earlier this 12 months, however she fell quick in final month’s Democratic main. The native of Hancock, Maine, beforehand served within the state Senate and as govt director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. She is the primary lady to function secretary of state.
It is Bellows’ second run for Senate. In 2014, she received the Democratic nomination to problem Collins, however misplaced within the basic election by virtually 37 share factors.
Throughout her gubernatorial marketing campaign, Bellows advocated for extra reasonably priced housing and a statewide freeze on property tax will increase for Maine residents, paid for by doubling property tax charges for non-resident houses.
Bellows raised just below $1.8 million throughout her marketing campaign for governor. Due to Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, Bellows and two different main candidates — former state Senate President Troy Jackson and former state Home Speaker Hannah Pingree — endorsed one another. Pingree ended up successful the Democratic nomination.
Bellows, like many of the candidates now searching for to interchange Platner, pushed him to drop out of the race shortly after he was accused of sexual assault. She known as the allegations — which Platner has denied — “extraordinarily critical.” She stated on X that whereas Platner “ignited a robust motion to problem the established order, given the seriousness of the allegations, he must step down.”
David Costello
A local of Bangor and former authorities official in Maine and Maryland, David Costello beforehand ran towards Platner for the Democratic Senate nomination, and stated that if Platner dropped out, “I am again in.”
Costello received 8.1% of the vote in final month’s main, trailing Platner (72.1%) and Maine Gov. Janet Mills (19.2%), who had suspended her marketing campaign however remained on the poll. He was additionally the Democratic nominee within the 2024 Maine Senate race, although the winner of that race — incumbent Sen. Angus King, an impartial — caucuses with Democrats.
Costello raised simply over $30,000 from donors and lent his marketing campaign greater than $100,000 throughout this 12 months’s Senate run.
Valli Geiger
State Rep. Valli Geiger, an in depth ally of Platner’s, has indicated curiosity in changing him on the poll.
The 70-year-old informed WMTW that Platner was supporting her bid. However she later clarified that she is one in every of “a number of folks” who’ve supported Platner and with whom he was talking.
A nurse and resident of the coastal city of Rockland, Geiger has served within the state Legislature for 3 phrases.
Troy Jackson
Former state Senate President Troy Jackson additionally threw his identify into the combo and filed with the Federal Election Fee for a Senate exploratory committee.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the tiny northern Maine city of Allagash, informed the Bangor Every day Information he’s the “finest particular person” to interchange Platner.
The 58-year-old has been energetic in Maine politics since 2002, serving within the Maine Home of Representatives and the Maine Senate, the place he was president from 2018 to 2024.
Earlier than Jackson positioned himself as a possible Senate candidate, he was eyeing the governor seat. He got here in third within the Democratic main this previous June after elevating round $1 million.
Supported by Platner and impartial Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in his gubernatorial bid, Jackson billed himself as a progressive candidate who would deal with reasonably priced housing and reducing property taxes. In an MS NOW interview, Jackson known as himself a “pickup truck progressive.”
Jackson and Sanders’ ties return a decade, with Jackson engaged on his 2016 presidential marketing campaign. Sanders stated Jackson would “stand with working-class households towards the big energy of the monied pursuits.” Some former Platner allies have argued Jackson ought to succeed Platner.
Earlier in his political profession, Jackson held socially conservative views on some points, together with abortion and same-sex marriage, although he has shifted to the mainstream of the Democratic Social gathering since then and attributed a few of his prior stances to the views of his rural northern Maine constituents.
Jackson urged Platner to withdraw, writing on X that there’s “no place in our politics for sexual violence.”
Dan Kleban
Dan Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Firm, introduced that he is working to interchange Platner, and made it official with an FEC submitting.
Kleban, 49, briefly ran for Senate final 12 months earlier than suspending his marketing campaign in October and endorsing Mills. His authentic marketing campaign was constructed round Maine’s financial system and affordability, mixed with environmental points. Like Platner, Kleban is a newcomer to elected politics, however the craft brewery that he based along with his brother in 2009 is well-known.
Since suspending his Senate marketing campaign, he has stayed vocal about Maine’s politics on social media, and he condemned the allegations towards Platner, calling them “horrifying and fully disqualifying.”
“Mainers deserve a Senator who will struggle for them towards the DC institution whereas additionally doing what’s proper,” he stated.
Throughout his preliminary Senate run final 12 months, Kleban gave virtually $215,000 of his personal cash to his marketing campaign and raised one other $244,000 from donors, in response to federal information. He spent virtually all of his marketing campaign money throughout his run.
Paige Loud
Paige Loud, a 29-year-old social employee, filed to run for Senate shortly earlier than Platner ended his marketing campaign. After he dropped out, Loud wrote on social media that “Mainers deserve greater than a hand-picked alternative whose morality solely kicked in on the final minute.”
Loud ran within the Democratic Home main for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District final month, coming in fourth place with 10.4% of the vote. She contributed round $30,000 to her personal marketing campaign and raised about $17,000.
Nirav Shah
Nirav Shah, the previous director of the Maine Heart for Illness Management and Prevention, additionally introduced that he is all in favour of turning into the Senate nominee, after coming in second within the state’s Democratic gubernatorial main final month.
“Institution politicians have failed us,” Shah stated on X. “To defeat Susan Collins, we’d like an outsider who isn’t afraid to tackle the damaged system she has spent a long time upholding.”
As Maine’s CDC director beginning in 2019, Shah navigated the COVID-19 pandemic within the Pine Tree State and has touted the state’s quick vaccine rollout. Shah went on to function principal deputy director of the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention underneath the Biden administration.
A Wisconsin native, Shah has levels in legislation and drugs from the College of Chicago, and beforehand labored in public well being in Illinois and Cambodia.
In his gubernatorial bid, Shah’s platform centered on “fixing housing, funding healthcare, feeding children, and fueling progress — all whereas combating the overreaches of the Trump administration.”
Throughout his gubernatorial marketing campaign, Shah raised greater than $1 million. He contributed round $100,000 to his marketing campaign, state marketing campaign finance information present.
Shah — who known as for Platner to drop out of the race — stated in a marketing campaign launch information convention that there’s “little or no mild” between him and Platner on issues of coverage, however he “wouldn’t settle for an endorsement from Graham, nor have I sought one.”
Shah informed CBS Information that Maine Democrats are “feeling a thousand feelings abruptly” following the allegation towards Platner and the marketing campaign shake-up.
“The one I might say is overriding is the eagerness and the dedication to defeating Susan Collins within the fall,” Shah stated.
Jordan Wooden
Jordan Wooden, who beforehand sought the Senate seat final 12 months earlier than dropping out to run in a Home race, introduced he is hoping to interchange Platner on the poll.
Wooden, a 36-year-old native of Lewiston, Maine, beforehand labored as chief of employees to Democratic Rep. Katie Porter earlier than founding a company targeted on combating election denialism. He launched his marketing campaign for Senate final 12 months earlier than pivoting to run for a Home seat to interchange average Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s red-leaning 2nd Congressional District, the place he fell quick final month.
In a put up on X, Wooden touted his work to “get large cash out of politics and finish corruption in Washington.”
“If I’m a nominee for Senate, I will lead the struggle to go Medicare for All, go sweeping anti-corruption reform, and stand as much as Trump’s lawlessness,” he stated.
Throughout his Home bid, Wooden raised greater than $5 million from donors and lent $400,000 to his marketing campaign, the overwhelming majority of which he spent in the course of the marketing campaign, in response to FEC information.
