Eight Democratic candidates seeking to replace former nominee Graham Platner in Maine's Senate race showcased how they align with aspects of his policy platform during a Thursday night debate. The contenders are competing for the party's nomination ahead of a July 25 convention, where delegates will select a candidate to face Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in the midterm elections.
David Costello, who previously ran for the nomination, stated that Platner had endorsed him in a prior election and suggested he would carry forward some of Platner's policies. "Graham actually said he voted for me a few years ago. How's that?" Costello remarked, indicating a shared vision for fundamental systemic change, including removing money from politics, enacting comprehensive campaign finance reform, and supporting public financing.
Jordan Wood, a former congressional chief of staff, highlighted Platner's perspective on the conflict in Gaza. "When I got into this race, I was very hesitant to use the word genocide," Wood said. "Graham got into this race, saying, 'this is genocide.' And I learned that, that it is so important in these moments to draw those moral lines... the genocide that Israel is committing, and the need to speak to that. And it's going to be difficult. But it is one thing that I took from Graham that I embraced that position now. But I learned it from him."
Troy Jackson, a former progressive member of the Maine House of Representatives, focused on Platner's stance on healthcare, arguing it would resonate with voters. "That's the thing that I think Graham did the best: talked about fighting against the health care industry and the prescription drug industry to make sure that people in this state and this country have affordable, quality health care," Jackson stated.
Nirav Shah, a professor and former gubernatorial candidate, identified common ground on the issue of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "There are a lot of areas where Graham's policies and mine overlap. One that I think is particularly relevant this week is the need to finally abolish ICE," Shah said.
Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows echoed Platner's views on government corruption and the conflict in Gaza. "The democracy that we thought we had has been deeply corrupted by those in power in Washington," Bellows said. She added, "We don't have to choose. It's about Medicare for all. It's about getting ice out of Maine. It's about seeing the harm of October 7th and seeing the harm that what Netanyahu is doing in Gaza is genocide, and that we can hold both of those ideas and we can speak the truth, not try to figure out which talking points will win."
Elizabeth Dickerson, a former Maine state lawmaker, characterized Platner's appeal not as introducing new ideas, but as energizing voters around long-standing progressive priorities. "He really didn’t bring up a whole lot that was new. But I think that what happened is that he had a way of getting people excited about doing those things and about voting to support those things," Dickerson explained. She emphasized the need to keep these voters engaged, stating, "Sometimes you don’t get the win you think you’re going to get, but that doesn’t mean you give up. We still have to fight."
Thirteen Democrats filed to be on the ballot, and the party is facing a July 27 deadline to select a new nominee. The Maine Democratic Party will hold its nominating convention on July 25 in Bangor, where 601 delegates will choose the candidate to compete against Sen. Collins. The Maine Republican Party criticized the Democratic candidates, stating they were "stained with the effects of Graham Platner's disastrous campaign."