Maine Democrats are eager to maintain Graham Platner’s progressive base but face challenges in deciding who should lead the charge.
This uncertainty is causing divisions as they approach the unpredictable late July nominating convention for a critical Senate race on the 2026 political landscape. Candidates are scrambling to align themselves with Platner’s policies, while carefully distancing themselves from the disgraced oysterman.
Labor organizations and the national progressive group Our Revolution are backing Troy Jackson, the former Maine Senate President. Jackson campaigned alongside Platner during the primary and had received Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) endorsement for his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid earlier this year. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who previously supported Platner, is also supporting Jackson, along with numerous state lawmakers.
Meanwhile, some state legislators and local activists who previously supported Platner are now rallying around Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who also ran as a progressive in the gubernatorial primary. Former public health official Nirav Shah is adopting more progressive stances than during his gubernatorial campaign to attract Platner supporters. Shah is also quietly working to enlist former organizers from Platner’s campaign, according to sources familiar with his strategy.
These three former gubernatorial candidates are prominent figures in a crowded field seeking the support of 600 Democratic delegates yet to be selected. Their goal is to convince Platner’s former supporters that they can continue his progressive advocacy and spirit, which initially made his candidacy popular. Platner was forced to resign after a POLITICO report accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denies.
Several candidates will present their case in a debate scheduled for Thursday night. The stakes are high for national Democrats, as removing Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is crucial for reclaiming Senate control this fall.
Platner had won the Democratic Senate primary last month with nearly three-quarters of the vote and had a fervent base of support. However, the future direction of his voters and core volunteers remains uncertain.
“Platner’s vocal supporters have shifted to other candidates, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve moved as a block or agreed on the best successor,” said David Farmer, a Maine Democratic political strategist not involved in the Senate campaign. “In a short process like this, it’s to be expected.”
In 11 days, Democrats will select a new nominee at a Bangor convention. This weekend, they will choose delegates to vote for that candidate — an effort involving all 16 counties, with campaigns striving to recruit delegates favorable to them.
Unions, which were pivotal to Platner’s primary success against Gov. Janet Mills, have largely shifted to Jackson, a logger and union member. The Maine AFL-CIO endorsed Jackson over the weekend, praising his advocacy for workers in the Maine legislature and his appeal to rural and working-class voters.
However, several of Platner’s staunchest supporters in the state House are rallying around Bellows. This includes state Rep. Valli Geiger, who was considered a potential replacement by Platner before she declined to run. In a Facebook post, Geiger emphasized Bellows’ record of opposing President Donald Trump as Secretary of State and noted that Bellows declared her candidacy after Platner’s withdrawal, unlike the “unseemly rush of ambitious men.”
Geiger declined to comment further when reached by text.
State Rep. Gary Friedmann, who also backed Platner, is fully supporting Bellows. While he aligns with Jackson’s positions and finds his association with Sanders and Our Revolution compelling, Friedmann expressed concerns about Jackson’s public speaking abilities.
“In debates with Susan Collins or messaging from both candidates, I find Shenna to be very articulate and persuasive,” Friedmann said. He added, “Having a woman articulate that platform is crucial.”
All candidates are working to attract Platner’s supporters without closely associating with him personally. A letter circulated by former Platner campaign volunteers, with hundreds of signatories, demands the new candidate adopt progressive commitments on issues like health care, housing, and ending “forever wars.” Both Jackson and Bellows have endorsed this letter.
In a virtual rally hosted by Our Revolution on Monday, Jackson acknowledged the challenges faced by Platner’s supporters and invited them to rally behind him, without mentioning Platner by name.
“There’s real pain, anger, disappointment, and I won’t minimize that,” Jackson stated. “But this movement is bigger than one person. It’s about challenging a system stacked against working people.”
Joseph Geevarghese, leader of Our Revolution, urged Platner’s inspired movement to engage in the delegate process outlined by the Maine Democratic Party.
“This is our chance to show the establishment we can organize and succeed within their system, the Democratic Party process,” he said during the call.
A source close to Bellows, speaking anonymously about internal strategy, acknowledged the candidates’ delicate balancing act, describing it as “a really delicate dance.”
“She’s not trying to imitate Graham Platner,” the source said. “She remains true to herself, and I believe she is a strong ideological bridge for those disheartened by Platner’s situation but still angry about Susan Collins and the Senate majority in Washington, D.C.”
While Shah’s campaign is quietly recruiting former Platner supporters, he is also making his appeal public.
“I want all former Platner supporters to know: you have a place in this campaign,” Shah stated on social media shortly after launching his candidacy.
In a recent incident in Maine, ICE agents shot a 26-year-old man in Biddeford, prompting potential Senate candidates to call for the removal of the federal agency from Maine. For many Democrats, this incident underscored the necessity of supporting the party’s eventual nominee, irrespective of the individual.
Democratic State Rep. Morgan Rielly, a former Platner supporter, expressed his commitment to backing Jackson in the primary. However, he emphasized that defeating Collins in the upcoming election is the primary goal.
“[The Democratic nominee] will have my full support, and I’ll work tirelessly to get them elected,” Rielly conveyed in a text. “We must unite to ensure Senator Collins is defeated on election day.”
