Maine Democrats Plan Nominating Convention After Platner Drops Out as Senate Nominee

Democrats in Maine are taking the unprecedented step of choosing a new nominee for this year’s U.S. Senate race at a nominating convention later this month after the current nominee, Graham Platner, announced he would suspend his campaign. Mr. Platner has been accused of rape by a former girlfriend, an allegation he denies. Mr. Platner launched his Senate campaign last summer with an avowedly left-wing platform — taxing billionaires, ending all support to Israel, and establishing a national health insurance program. His record as a multi-tour combat veteran had many Democrats believing that he was the kind of “working class” whisperer that the party needed. On Monday, however, Mr. Platner’s ex-girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, claimed in an exclusive interview with Politico that he had raped her back in 2021. He has denied the accusation, though many were convinced after Ms. Racicot provided evidence that she had told other people about the alleged assault long before Mr. Platner announced his run for Senate. She said that part of the reason she did not want to come forward is because she shares Mr. Platner’s political perspectives. On Wednesday, members of the Maine Democratic Party voted to hold a nominating convention later this month, in which hundreds of Maine Democrats will vote to choose a new nominee for the Senate race to face off against Senator Susan Collins, a Republican who has represented the state for nearly 30 years and who has a history of overperforming in her blue state. Maine has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. “Today, the Maine Democratic Party held a meeting with over 100 state committee members who voted to hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee if there is a vacancy to fill,” the chairman, vice chairwoman, and executive director of the state party said in a joint statement shortly before Mr. Platner announced he would withdraw from the Senate race. Those leaders said that “the full timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates” will be announced “soon.” “There is an unprecedented amount of energy and enthusiasm among Maine Democrats, driven in part by many of the dedicated volunteers and supporters who were inspired by Graham Platner’s campaign. We look forward to coming together and harnessing that energy around our new nominee as we work to defeat Susan Collins in November,” the party leaders wrote. In a lengthy video posted to social media on Wednesday, Mr. Platner announced that he was suspending his campaign, though he seemed to imply that his ouster was the result of a scheme by the political establishment. The rape allegation story was reported exactly one week before Mr. Platner had the opportunity to exit the race so Democrats could choose a new nominee. Now that Mr. Platner is officially withdrawing, the state party will have until Monday, July 27, to put a new nominee on the ballot for the November election. “There is a reason this is happening now,” Mr. Platner said in his direct-to-camera video. “This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot and that’s why this is occurring. It’s not the false allegations, though, that have brought us to where we are. It’s the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us.” Shortly after Mr. Platner was accused of rape on Monday, Senate Democratic leadership and Senate Democrats’ campaign arm announced that Mr. Platner would receive no support should he remain the nominee. Such a threat meant that he would be blocked from accessing voter data or fundraising platforms. In the days leading up to Mr. Platner’s withdrawal, a number of Democrats said they may seek the Senate nomination. Former state senate president Troy Jackson, who came in third in the recent Democratic gubernatorial primary, said Wednesday that he would officially run for the Senate nomination.“There is a powerful movement of working class people in the state of Maine, and millions more across America who are ready to send a progressive fighter to the Senate. I’ve been fighting for that movement my whole life — and I’m sure as hell not backing down now, when this fight is needed most,” Mr. Jackson wrote in a post on X. “I’m in.”Dan Kleban, an entrepreneur and the co-founder of the wildly successful Maine Beer Company, also said he would seek the nomination this month. He had previously run for Senate against Mr. Platner and Governor Janet Mills in the Democratic primary, though he dropped out long before voting began. Other candidates who have expressed interest include secretary of state Shenna Bellows and former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nirav Shah, both of whom lost the gubernatorial primary this year.

Maine Democrats Plan Nominating Convention After Platner Drops Out as Senate Nominee

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