A closely watched contest for a seat in the United States Senate has been thrown into disarray, forcing one of the two major parties to look urgently for a new standard-bearer. According to the account, Maine Democrats are searching for a new Senate candidate after Graham Plattner dropped out of the race, leaving the party without a nominee in a contest that had drawn national attention.
The reason for his departure lies in a serious personal accusation that surfaced against him. According to the account, Plattner stepped aside after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, an allegation that upended his standing as the party's choice and set off the search for someone else to carry the Democratic banner into the general election.
The timing has left the party with little room to manoeuvre. According to the account, Maine Democrats have just over two weeks to choose a new nominee, a compressed window that has pushed the party into what has been described as a scramble to settle on a replacement before the process moves beyond their control.
Despite the sudden vacancy, there is no shortage of people willing to step forward. According to the account, seven candidates are already running to replace him, giving the party a crowded field to sort through as it tries to unite behind a single contender in a race regarded as the nation's most closely watched Senate contest.
For the Democrats, the priority now is to move past the controversy and refocus the campaign. According to the account, the party is eager to shift its attention away from Plattner's scandals and back toward the Republican incumbent, Senator Susan Collins, whose seat is the ultimate target of the race they are trying to keep competitive.
Plattner, however, has not gone quietly, and has offered his own explanation for the collapse of his bid. According to the account, he blamed his campaign's implosion on what he called large forces working against him rather than the sexual assault allegations, which he has denied, casting his exit as the result of pressure from those in power rather than the accusation itself.
Even his formal withdrawal appears set to come at the last possible moment. According to the account, although Plattner has suspended his campaign, sources say he is waiting until the very last minute, a Monday deadline, to officially remove his name from the ballot, prolonging the uncertainty as the party works to line up an alternative.