Democratic nominee Graham Platner’s withdrawal from the Senate race in Maine sets up a rush to replace him on the ballot.
Platner faced growing calls to exit the race in recent days after a sexual assault allegation from a former partner and claims from another ex-girlfriend that he repeatedly removed protection without her consent while having sex. His withdrawal means that the Maine Democratic Party now has until July 27 to select another nominee.
Platner has denied the allegations but said he recognized the electoral realities of the situation. He and other Maine progressives have expressed a desire to have an ideologically aligned successor, while some politicians suggest that Democrats should distance themselves from Platner’s wing of the party amid his scandals.
Democrats’ challenge to Sen. Susan Collins (R) is critical to control of the U.S. Senate, where Republicans now have a 53-47 majority. The Maine Democratic Party has not said how it plans to select a new nominee, though several prospective candidates have called for a transparent and democratic process.
Here are some of the most prominent names that have been mentioned:
Troy Jackson
Jackson, 58, who placed third in Maine’s Democratic primary for governor, was a vocal Platner supporter and would be the closest ideologically to him. He was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and the Maine Democratic Socialists of America during his gubernatorial campaign.
Jackson, a logger from northern Maine, is a progressive former state Senate president and has received the support of many Platner volunteers. He called for Platner to leave the race on Tuesday in a statement echoing many of the themes of Platner’s campaign, including supporting Medicare-for-all and helping “take on corporate power.”
Jackson has filed paperwork exploring a run to replace Platner and told the Bangor Daily News that he is “very, very interested” in the nomination. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), a former Platner supporter, also threw his weight behind Jackson.
Shenna Bellows
Bellows, 51, Maine’s secretary of state, placed fourth in the Democratic primary for governor and has described herself as “uniquely fit to unite Mainers and defeat Susan Collins.” She was formerly the executive director of the state’s American Civil Liberties Union and served in the Maine Senate from 2016 to 2020.
Bellows received national attention when she sought to bar President Donald Trump from Maine’s ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In 2014 she was the Democratic nominee challenging Collins, and she lost in a landslide in the Republican wave year, making some skeptical of her chances in a rematch.
She has said that she will “seriously consider” entering the race to replace Platner.
Nirav Shah
A medical professional, Shah, 49, directed the Illinois Department of Public Health before moving to Maine in 2019 to head the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a role in which he led the state through the covid-19 pandemic. Most recently, he was the principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2023 to 2025 and has worked as a professor at Colby College.
Shah also ran for governor this year, placing first in the first round of voting but losing to Hannah Pingree after Maine’s ranked-choice tabulation. He positioned himself as an outsider and a more moderate candidate.
Shah said Tuesday that he was considering entering the Senate race. He said anyone running for the nomination should agree to at least one televised debate and hold public town halls across Maine.
Janet Mills
Mills, 78, has served as Maine’s governor since 2019 and previously was the state’s attorney general. She ran for the Democratic nomination for Senate before suspending her campaign in late April.
While Democratic leaders in Washington preferred Mills to Platner in the primary, she dropped out as Platner consolidated support among progressive voters disillusioned with the party’s establishment.
She has been silent amid the latest scandals affecting Platner’s candidacy and speculation about who may be his replacement on the ballot.
Jordan Wood
Wood, 36, a former chief of staff to Rep. Katie Porter (D-California), briefly ran for Senate before entering the primary for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District and placing third. He focused much of his campaign on fighting corruption in Washington, citing his past work to decrease the influence of corporate money in politics.
A progressive, Wood campaigned on increasing taxes for very wealthy individuals, passing universal health care and making child care affordable. He said Tuesday that he is “continuing conversations with voters” about whether to enter the race.
Dan Kleban
Kleban, 49, a co-founder of Maine Beer Company, ran for the Senate early this cycle before withdrawing from the race to endorse Mills. A political unknown, he described himself at the time as a pragmatic Democrat focusing on affordability and environmental issues, and he never endorsed Platner.
Kleban formally announced his campaign on Tuesday afternoon in a statement, positioning himself as an outside critic of “corporate interests” and “Washington establishment insiders.” He called for a “new generation of leadership in Washington” and a transparent process to select the next nominee.
Aaron Frey
Frey, 46, has served as Maine’s attorney general since 2019 and was first elected to the state House in 2012. While attorney general he has frequently joined lawsuits against the Trump administration, sought to protect reproductive rights and taken action against corporate price-fixers. He has received criticism from some progressives for not supporting criminal justice changes related to the opioid crisis and opposing some tribal sovereignty measures.
Frey has not commented on Platner’s recent scandals nor publicly expressed interest in the race, though he is term-limited as attorney general.
Valli Geiger
Geiger, a nurse and close ally of Platner, has served in the Maine House of Representatives since 2020. She said Platner is supporting her candidacy, according to a Maine television station.
Geiger said Platner would also support Senate bids by Jackson and Bellows, according to the Midcoast Villager. A Platner spokesperson responded to the reports by saying that he has not endorsed any candidates but called Geiger “to thank her for her support and encouraged her to consider running if he stepped down.”
In response to the most recent allegations, she posted that she would “not throw Graham under the bus” and would “offer compassion on all sides.”
David Costello
Costello ran in the Democratic primary for Senate this year, placing third behind Platner and Mills with 8 percent of the vote. He argued that his working-class background and experience in senior government roles made him the most qualified candidate to face Collins. He campaigned on a progressive platform including Medicare-for-all and universal child care.
Costello said Tuesday that he is “back in” if Platner withdraws.
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