A closely watched contest for a seat in the United States Senate has been thrown into disarray, forcing Maine Democrats to look urgently for a new standard-bearer. The party finds itself without a nominee after Graham Plattner abandoned the race, collapsing a campaign that had drawn national attention and leaving Democrats scrambling to regroup in a state where the seat could help decide control of the chamber.
His departure followed a serious personal accusation. An ex-girlfriend accused Plattner of sexual assault, an allegation he says is not true, and it proved to be the breaking point after a series of earlier scandals. Those included reports that he had sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women shortly after he was married in 2023, controversies his insurgent campaign had managed to survive until now.
The pressure to step down came quickly and from the top of his own party. Bernie Sanders and other leading Democrats urged Plattner to withdraw, and Senate leadership threatened to pull campaign funding. Rather than pointing to the accusation, Plattner blamed his campaign's implosion on what he called large forces working against him, casting his exit as the result of pressure from those in power.
The timing has left the party with little room to manoeuvre. Maine Democrats must submit the name of a new nominee to the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27, giving them just over two weeks to act. To help settle the question, the party is organising a 600-person convention on July 25, two days before the deadline, with local party groups also set to weigh in beforehand.
Despite the sudden vacancy, there is no shortage of people willing to step forward. Seven hopefuls are already vying to replace Plattner, among them former state Senate president Troy Jackson, a logger seeking to claim Plattner's working-class mantle, along with Maine Secretary of State Sheena Bellows, Maine Beer Company founder Dan Cleban and the state's former CDC director, Dr. Narab Shah, giving Democrats a crowded field to sort through.
Plattner himself had cut an unusual figure in the race. An oyster farmer and marine combat veteran, he built a scrappy progressive campaign that energised many on the left and guided it through storm after storm before the latest allegation ended it. Party organisers now say the enthusiasm that had gathered behind his bid needs to find a new home before the campaign can move on.
For the Democrats, the ultimate target remains unchanged. The seat is held by Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has won five Senate races and is the only Republican defending a seat this year in a state that Trump lost in 2024. The party is eager to shift attention away from Plattner's scandals and back onto that contest, which it is determined to keep competitive despite the upheaval.