U.S. Senate primary winner Graham Platner faces mounting pressure from state and national Democrats to drop out of the race after a woman who previously dated him accused him of sexual assault. Platner has denied the allegations and is still the state's Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, despite the growing pressure.
The Maine Democratic Party has issued a stern warning to Platner, stating that his campaign has "no role" in choosing his replacement. Party leaders have developed a process to replace the nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent, and fair, and are committed to ensuring the integrity of this process.
Platner's team has repeatedly reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like, but party leaders have reiterated that they have no role in determining the next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. An official for the Platner campaign said that the team has not tried to "put its finger on the scale," but rather wants to ensure that the voters and volunteers who supported Platner have a say in the decision.
Party leaders have called on Platner to withdraw from the race, stating that multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against him. They noted that no replacement process can begin unless Platner suspends his campaign, and that in no scenario is there a legal possibility for a nominee to be selected by an individual campaign.
The timing is critical, as the deadline for a nominee to withdraw is July 13, and the deadline for a new nominee to be submitted is July 27. If Platner does not withdraw by the July 13 deadline, Democrats would not have the option to name a replacement. Potential replacements have been floated, including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
