{"id":5951,"date":"2026-07-15T09:35:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:35:43","slug":"the-frenzied-sprint-among-maine-democrats-hoping-to-replace-graham-platner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951","title":{"rendered":"The frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n County party chairs inundated with calls. An endless stream of Google sign-up forms and spreadsheets. And a disgraced former nominee looming over it all, haunting the party\u2019s hopes of starting anew.\n <\/p>

Read more \u2018We just need someone who\u2019s not crazy\u2019: How the White House decided on Erica Schwartz for CDC director<\/a><\/p>\n

\n The snap Democratic election to replace Graham Platner and face Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall is off to a hectic and dramatic start.\n <\/p>\n

\n The implosion of Platner\u2019s campaign after he was accused of rape \u2013 an allegation he denies \u2013 left Maine Democrats scrambling to create a highly unorthodox process that reflects the high stakes for the battle to win control of the Senate.\n <\/p>\n

\n On July 25, just 15 days after Platner formally dropped out, 601 delegates will meet in Bangor, the state capital, to vote on a new nominee. Most of the delegates \u2013 500 \u2013 will be picked this weekend at county meetings across Maine. The other 101 delegates will automatically come from Maine\u2019s Democratic State Committee, and they are already being heavily courted.\n <\/p>\n

\n At least eight candidates are rushing to collect enough signatures to qualify for the convention and assemble slates of delegates to vote for them.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are in a perilous situation, and there is no perfect way to deal with an unprecedented situation like this,\u201d one of the candidates, Jordan Wood, told reporters this week.\n <\/p>\n

\n Platner\u2019s tarnished legacy looms large, with some of his supporters looking for a replacement nominee to continue the working-class progressive movement that he tried to build.\n <\/p>\n

\n Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who launched his Senate campaign with the support of over 50 current and former elected officials, appears to be making the most explicit appeal along those lines.\n <\/p>\n

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\"Troy<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
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\nTroy Jackson, Democratic candidate for US Senate, speaks during a demonstration outside of a federal immigration office in Scarborough, Maine, on Tuesday, after a man was fatally shot by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Ryan Murphy\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n \u201cYou poured your hearts, your time and your energy into building this movement alongside another candidate in Maine, and I know that there\u2019s real pain, anger and disappointment, and I\u2019m not going to try and minimize that,\u201d Jackson said Monday on a call with members of the national progressive group Our Revolution. \u201cBut look, this movement has always been bigger than one person.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Candidates face a 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline to declare their intent to run, with the first scheduled debate on Thursday. By the end of Monday, candidates will need to submit 500 signatures to qualify for the ballot, including 50 signatures from at least eight separate counties.\n <\/p>\n

\n On Tuesday night, the Maine Democratic Party said it had already received more than 5,500 submissions from Democrats who either want to be delegates or attend the county meetings to pick delegates.\n <\/p>\n

\n It is a process with a far smaller electorate than a traditional primary, requiring an intense focus on organizing and interpersonal relationships. At least some campaigns may have reached out to, if not spoken to, all 601 delegates by the time they arrive in Bangor.\n <\/p>\n

\n Maine Democrats have little room for error. July 27 \u2014 two days after the convention \u2014 is the last day under state law on which they can submit the name of the replacement nominee for inclusion on the ballot.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI think that all of us are working hard to make this process transparent, inclusive and as timely as possible,\u201d Paige Zeigler, chair of the Waldo County Democrats, said in an email that partly addressed out-of-state political observers: \u201cWe Mainers will show the way because \u2018as Maine go, so goes the nation.\u2019 Now follow us and elect some damn good leaders this November.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n How the campaigns are running\n<\/h2>\n
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\nNirav Shah, Democratic candidate for US Senate, speaks at a press conference outside the office of Sen. Susan Collins, in Biddeford, Maine, on Tuesday.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
CJ Gunther\/Reuters<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n Previous statewide candidates, with built-in political networks, could have an advantage.\n <\/p>\n

\n Nirav Shah\u2019s campaign for governor, which got the most first-round votes in the June 9 Democratic primary before losing to Hannah Pingree, was still winding down when Platner ended his candidacy. Shah\u2019s campaign staff were preparing to have their final meeting and discussing ideas for keeping supporters engaged in Maine, such as hosting community service events.\n <\/p>\n

\n When it became clear the Senate nomination would be up for grabs, they quickly pivoted and held a call on Friday evening with over 100 volunteers, dozens of whom spent the next couple of days printing petitions and gathering signatures. The campaign announced Sunday night it had hit the signature threshold.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cOur team basically never stood down,\u201d said Kayla vanWieringen, Shah\u2019s campaign manager. \u201cEveryone just completely mobilized.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, another former gubernatorial candidate now seeking the Senate nomination, has been reaching out to \u201csuper volunteers\u201d and \u201ccounty captains\u201d from her last campaign for help with collecting signatures and recruiting delegates. They include supporters who hosted dozens of house parties for her earlier this year.\n <\/p>\n

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\nMaine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speaks at a vigil in Lewiston, Maine, on Tuesday, a day after the shooting of a man by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Robert F. Bukaty\/AP<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n Some campaigns have hired new staff but acknowledge that initial efforts in the frenzied race have been largely carried out by volunteers.\n <\/p>

Read more A \u2018forbidden experiment,\u2019 two moonshots and the invasive species ravaging the Great Lakes<\/a><\/p>\n

\n A person familiar with Jackson\u2019s operation, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss strategy, described an \u201call-out blitz\u201d reaching out to potential delegates. \u201cIt\u2019s just hours on the phone, frankly,\u201d the person said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Publicly, campaigns have been quizzing supporters on whether they plan to attend their county meeting this weekend, and if so, whether they plan to run to be delegates themselves or support that campaign\u2019s delegate candidates. Ideally, a campaign could emerge from the county meetings with a known baseline of support for the convention.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe goal is to lock in as many delegates you can this weekend so that you feel good heading into the nominating convention in Bangor,\u201d the person familiar with Jackson\u2019s operation said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Even then, delegates are not legally bound to support a particular candidate, and their loyalties could shift from the county meetings to the convention, where there will be multiple rounds of voting until a candidate wins a majority.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cNothing is set in stone,\u201d said one person involved in the race.\n <\/p>\n

\n Sure enough, the race kicked off this week with an illustration of how external events could quickly upend campaigns. After a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a man in Biddeford on Monday, Jackson attended an \u201cemergency\u201d rally in the coastal town and Shah held a news conference Tuesday to criticize Collins\u2019 record of voting to fund ICE.\n <\/p>\n

\n Campaigns are weighing how much to balance in-person events with private outreach to delegates, and they acknowledge traditional campaign tools such as TV ads are inefficient with such a small pool of voters. Even more targeted methods \u2014 such as digital ads or text messaging \u2014 may have to wait until the full list of delegates is available next week.\n <\/p>\n

\n The Platner factor\n<\/h2>\n
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\nGraham Platner speaks during a television interview, after a campaign event with the Maine AFL-CIO in Portland, Maine, on May 1.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Graeme Sloan\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n Platner sought to shape the race to replace him as he prepared to exit it. State Rep. Valli Geiger, a prominent Platner supporter, has said she was among \u201cseveral\u201d potential candidates Platner contacted. She announced Monday she would not run, instead backing Bellows.\n <\/p>\n

\n Even if state and national progressives are done with Platner, it appears a sizable faction in Maine wants to see him replaced by a candidate with a similar vision.\n <\/p>\n

\n Jackson boasted Tuesday that he had signed a petition supporting a Platner-like platform of universal healthcare rights, taxing billionaires and ending so-called \u201cforever wars.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Jackson was arguably the closest to Platner, campaigning alongside him multiple times. He called on Platner to drop out after the rape allegation, and in an MS NOW interview last week, Jackson said Platner \u201clied to me\u201d about whether there was anything concerning in his past.\n <\/p>\n

\n Wood is going in a different direction. He told reporters that the nominee needs to be someone who can \u201cvery quickly separate themselves\u201d from Platner.\n <\/p>\n

\n Wood has his own history with Platner, calling on him to drop out last year when they were both running in the Senate primary. Wood later switched to the primary for Maine\u2019s 2nd Congressional District and backed Platner for Senate once Platner\u2019s chief opponent, Gov. Janet Mills, stepped aside.\n <\/p>\n

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\"Jordan<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
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\nJordan Woods, a Democratic candidate for US Senate, speaks at a vigil in Lewiston, Maine, on Tuesday a day after the shooting of a man by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Robert F. Bukaty\/AP<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n Brewery owner Dan Kleban, who briefly ran for Senate against Platner before dropping out and backing Mills, is positioning himself for the convention as a Platner-like outsider without the baggage. Like Platner, Kleban is a critic of New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and has vowed not to support him as Senate Democratic leader.\n <\/p>\n

\n Schumer backed Mills in the primary, but his aides have promised he will not get involved in the convention.\n <\/p>\n

\n It remains to be seen if all the national progressive figures who backed Platner will make endorsements before the convention. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who was one of Platner\u2019s most loyal supporters in Congress, has already backed Jackson, but Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have not made endorsements.\n <\/p>\n

\n Sanders told CNN on Monday he did not think he would endorse a candidate ahead of the convention.\n <\/p>\n

\n Most other outside Democrats are staying out of the primary \u2013 with two notable exceptions. Both of Illinois\u2019 Democratic senators have spoken out against Shah over his time as the state\u2019s public health director.\n <\/p>\n

\n Sen. Tammy Duckworth said last week she \u201cstrongly opposes\u201d Shah\u2019s Senate campaign based on his record in her state. Sen. Dick Durbin, another Illinois Democrat, told CNN on Tuesday he would not support Shah if he wins the nomination.\n <\/p>\n

\n Shah shrugged off the criticism at a Monday news conference.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Democrats are helped with other Democrats criticizing Democrats,\u201d said Shah, who left Illinois in 2019 for a similar public health role in Maine. \u201cI\u2019m confident (Mainers) know me and they\u2019ve seen me show up for them. That\u2019s ultimately what matters.\u201d\n <\/p>

Read more A new blood test may predict Alzheimer\u2019s risk. It isn\u2019t ready for prime time<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

County party chairs inundated with calls. An endless stream of Google sign-up forms and spreadsheets. And a disgraced former nominee looming over it all, haunting the party\u2019s hopes of starting anew. The implosion of Graham Platner\u2019s campaign after he was accused of rape \u2013 an allegation he denies \u2013 left Maine Democrats scrambling to create a highly unorthodox process that reflects the high stakes for the battle to win control of the Senate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nThe frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner - Relocation Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner - Relocation Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"County party chairs inundated with calls. 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An endless stream of Google sign-up forms and spreadsheets. And a disgraced former nominee looming over it all, haunting the party\u2019s hopes of starting anew. The implosion of Graham Platner\u2019s campaign after he was accused of rape \u2013 an allegation he denies \u2013 left Maine Democrats scrambling to create a highly unorthodox process that reflects the high stakes for the battle to win control of the Senate.","og_url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951","og_site_name":"Relocation Times","article_published_time":"2026-07-15T09:35:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d970341afeb54c8766943cf71595d7d6.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be"},"headline":"The frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner","datePublished":"2026-07-15T09:35:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951"},"wordCount":1772,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3b389f249f7b0a10afce87147029026f.jpg","articleSection":["Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=5951","name":"The frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner - 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