The Maine Democratic Party is in a race against time to select a new nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November's midterm elections, following the abrupt withdrawal of Graham Platner.
Platner, who had won the Democratic primary with backing from progressive figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders, dropped out of the race last week after an allegation of rape from a former partner surfaced. The state party faces a July 27 deadline to name a replacement. To meet this, all 16 of Maine's counties will convene special nomination meetings this weekend to elect delegates. These delegates will then convene on July 25 in Bangor to vote for the party's nominee.
Eight Democrats have officially filed to run for the nomination. Candidates must submit their filings with the state party by Wednesday. The eventual nominee will be determined by 601 voting delegates at the July 25 convention.
A significant challenge for any new nominee is uniting the party's base. A coalition of volunteer leaders who formed the grassroots infrastructure behind Platner's campaign issued an open letter stating that the organization they built "does not transfer automatically to whoever the Party selects." They emphasized that their support and deployed efforts would only continue for a nominee who explicitly adopts a list of core progressive commitments.
Contenders Emerge
Several candidates have announced their bids to secure the nomination, each with varying levels of experience and political bases. Among them is Nirav Shah, who finished with the most votes in the recent Democratic gubernatorial primary but lost the nomination to Hannah Pingree. Shah previously led the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC. Shah has indicated that supporters of Platner "have a home in this campaign."
Troy Jackson, a former Maine Senate President and a fifth-generation logger, is also running. Jackson came in third in the gubernatorial primary and was endorsed by Sanders and his organization "Our Revolution," as well as the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Jackson has framed his campaign as a movement "bigger than one person" focused on challenging a system he believes is rigged against working people.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who placed fourth in the gubernatorial primary, is another candidate. Bellows previously lost to Collins in the 2014 Senate election. She is running on a platform of passing Medicare for All, fighting for workers' rights, and protecting constituents.
Other candidates include Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer; David Costello, who was the Democratic Senate nominee in 2024; Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company; social worker Paige Loud; and Elizabeth Dickerson, a former state representative. Wood has emphasized that his campaign refuses corporate PAC, AIPAC, and lobbyist money.
Platner's campaign had gained traction as a populist challenge to the establishment, but it was ultimately overshadowed by scandals, leading to his withdrawal and setting the stage for a competitive and urgent nomination process for the Maine Democrats.