With the embattled Democratic Senate nominee under pressure to leave the key race, other politicians are maneuvering to replace him on the ballot.
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SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Though Maine’s beleaguered U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner has so far ignored growing calls to drop out of the race, many Democratic voters in the state are looking ahead to the crop of politicians vying to replace him on the ballot.
The skirmish has already become messy as a crowded field of Democrats is making moves behind the scenes to position themselves for an uncertain process, with some publicly expressing interest in taking on five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins before Platner has withdrawn.
Platner has withstood a number of controversies, including revelations that he had a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and was accused of violent behavior by ex-girlfriends. On Monday, a woman who used to date Platner said he sexually assaulted her in late 2021. Platner denied the allegation, but many supporters who said they previously stood with him are now urging him to drop out.
“I was willing to allow him to be imperfect, but this is too much for me,” Laurie Alves, a 51-year-old mother of three daughters who lives south of Portland, said in an interview Tuesday. “I would not want him representing my family.”
On Tuesday, a second ex-girlfriend told The Washington Post that Platner repeatedly removed protection without her consent when they were having sex. The campaign called the claim “categorically false and politically motivated.”
Prominent state and national Democrats are pressuring Platner to quit the race by Monday, the last day under state law that would allow the party to select a replacement candidate. If he drops out, the Maine Democratic Party would have two weeks to name a new nominee.
Democrats are trying to stay focused on defeating Collins, an uphill battle that is nevertheless critical to their long-shot prospects of flipping control of the Senate in November. The party must win four seats held by Republicans to win back the chamber.
“She’s been wringing her hands for 30 years,” said John Raby, 82. “Platner may be over, but the campaign isn’t over.”
Raby saw Platner speak in person three times. When he learned about the sexual assault allegation on Monday, Raby said, “I felt like somebody had punched me in the gut.”
He said any of the three Democrats who lost the gubernatorial primary in June — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former state Senate president Troy Jackson and former public health official Nirav Shah — would be a good replacement for Platner.
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All three have expressed interest. Jackson said he viewed himself as the “best person” to replace Platner and launched an exploratory committee. Shah laid out the process he would like to see to choose a new nominee, including a televised debate. Bellows issued a statement Tuesday night saying she “will seriously consider entering this race” if Platner exits.
Other possible candidates include Dan Kleban, the owner of Maine Brewing Company who briefly ran for the Senate last year, and David Costello, who finished third in the primary and said Tuesday that he’s “back in, if Graham Platner withdraws.”
Behind the scenes, Platner and his campaign team are maneuvering to maintain influence over the selection of a replacement.
Some of his supporters quickly rallied behind Jackson, whom they argue would best carry on the populist agenda that drew voters to Platner. Both were endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who urged Platner to leave the race on Tuesday.
Penelope Hamblin, 75, a retired librarian who lives in Scarborough, sent the Platner campaign a $25 check after Sanders’s endorsement. She was initially energized by a charismatic candidate with momentum who was drawing crowds around Maine.
With early scandals, such as the emergence of old social media posts where Platner downplayed sexual assault and made other inflammatory comments, Hamblin pushed back against her discomfort. But she reached a breaking point last month, when she learned that Platner sent sexually explicit text messages to other women after he married in 2023. Hamblin said she ranked Platner last in the Democratic primary, which uses a ranked choice system.
“The man is a creep,” Hamblin said. “I won’t say I was surprised” by the sexual assault allegation, she added, “but I was horrified.”
She hopes that Jackson — a “very non-snazzy person” with pro-labor credentials — is the replacement nominee, she said.
The sooner Platner drops out, Hamblin said, the better. She’s terrified to think that the chance to flip Maine’s Senate seat might be slipping away.
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Koseff reported from Washington.
