Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner has not yet confirmed whether he will withdraw from the race after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Platner denies the allegation but faces considerable pressure from his own party to quit the race. The first-time candidate has also been accused of trying to influence how his replacement is selected — a claim he also denies.
The uncertainty surrounding Platner has left a crucial U.S. Senate race unsettled just months before the November midterm elections. The Maine Democratic Party, which by law is responsible for naming a replacement, has not said how it plans to select a possible successor. Meanwhile, potential contenders have begun teasing their interest.
According to Maine law, there is a narrow provision for replacing general election candidates. Platner would need to step aside voluntarily by 5 p.m. July 13 before any other contender can be considered. So far, Platner has only committed to pausing his campaign. Should he quit the race, the law then says the Maine Democratic Party has the authority to choose a replacement, which must be done by July 27.
However, what that process would actually look like remains unknown. It could come down to a vote by the state committee, a caucus, or even some sort of state political convention. It is incredibly rare for a general election candidate to bow out of a race, meaning party officials are scrambling to complete a plan if and when Platner announces he will withdraw.
The Maine Democratic Party said Tuesday it will make the process public as soon as Platner officially withdraws. A key question surrounding whether and how Platner is replaced has come down to just how much leverage the oyster farmer and Marine veteran has in this situation.
On Tuesday, the Maine Democratic Party's executive director, Devon Murphy-Anderson, released a statement accusing Platner's campaign of repeatedly trying to "put their thumb on the scale" in determining the next Democratic nominee. Platner's team responded with a statement saying "at no point has the campaign tried to 'put its finger on the scale'" but instead is trying to understand the process.
One possible contender, Nirav Shah, former director of Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has said he was "evaluating" whether to join the race. Another possible replacement is Troy Jackson, Maine's former state Senate president, who unsuccessfully ran to be the Democratic nominee for governor earlier this year. Jackson filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday to launch a Senate exploratory committee. Jordan Wood, a former U.S. Senate candidate, posted Tuesday that he was "continuing conversations" with voters about joining the race. Other names circulating include Shenna Bellows, the current Maine secretary of state, and Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Company.