BRUNSWICK, Maine — The campaign to remove Graham Platner from the Maine Senate race is causing some Democrats to recall the events of 2024, sparking concerns about leaving their candidate unsupported.
Platner’s support within his party has significantly waned, and he has lost key financial backers following a POLITICO report that a woman accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. Despite Platner not having withdrawn from the race, Democrats in Maine are already positioning themselves to replace him in the contest against GOP Sen. Susan Collins.
These developments have evoked memories for several voters of a pivotal summer two years ago, when President Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection bid late, leaving his Vice President Kamala Harris with just 107 days to challenge Donald Trump, which resulted in her defeat.
Claudia Knox, 85, expressed to POLITICO that Platner should only exit the race if it allows a strong candidate to quickly gain momentum. “I want a fighter. I want Collins out. So, the question is, if he withdraws, what happens?” she asked. “Maybe he should hurry up, because this is feeling parallel to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
Some Maine voters told POLITICO they are uncertain if another candidate can match Platner’s momentum, even as some wish for his withdrawal. They are unsure about the replacement process and worry about having enough time to select a new nominee and defeat Collins.
Linda, a 79-year-old Brunswick resident who withheld her last name, stated it is time for Platner to end his campaign but fears Democrats face significant challenges in defeating Collins with only four months until the general election. “It’s going to be tough, tough, tough. It’s going to be very tough,” she remarked. “I think [Democrats] have a reasonable slate of people to work with. … They can’t just go blue sky now. I mean, they’ve got to focus.”
If Platner withdraws by Monday, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to name his successor. Officials have started identifying potential candidates, considering those who recently ran for governor — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former public health official Nirav Shah, and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson — as well as state Rep. Valli Geiger and brewery owner Dan Kleban, who briefly ran for the Senate last year.
Harris’ experience illustrates the difficulty of stepping in late to revitalize a campaign. Platner’s replacement will have limited time to reintroduce themselves to voters and highlight their policy goals while distancing themselves from Platner and his controversies.
However, the situations are not entirely comparable. None of the prospective candidates have shared a ticket with Platner, and all have openly criticized him. Harris, in contrast, had to navigate her four-year tenure with Biden as his popularity declined.
Biden and Harris spokespeople did not provide comments.
Despite these differences, some Maine voters remain concerned early in the process. “We are just leery about a new kind of Kamala Harris situation, where we don’t get to choose whatever Democratic candidate will be on the ticket,” said Stephanie Gardner, 38, as she removed her Graham Platner campaign sign from her yard in Topsham.
Gardner expressed her belief that Platner should step down and supports Jackson as a replacement. Jackson, who received endorsements from Platner and Sen. Bernie Sanders in his previous gubernatorial run, has started exploring a Senate bid.
Rose Heithoff, 35, suggested a process where party leaders narrow the field to prevent internal conflict, though she acknowledged it didn’t resolve Democrats’ 2024 issues: “If you look back at the Biden-Harris situation, that was a fumble in some ways because I think people felt like they didn’t necessarily have the choice,” she said.
The Maine Democratic Party has pledged an open process and will disclose details once Platner withdraws. In a fiery Tuesday evening social media post, Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson criticized Platner’s team for attempting to influence the process.
Currently, it remains uncertain whether there will be public debates and campaigning or how much input voters will have.
Platner mentioned on social media shortly after POLITICO’s report that he’s reflecting on his future course. By Tuesday, he had canceled fundraisers, removed ads, and lost support from key backers, including Sanders. National Democratic groups supporting Platner have decided to allocate their resources elsewhere.
Still, some voters are reluctant to see Platner exit, fearing the impact on the race.
On Monday, outside a canceled town hall in Gorham where Platner was to engage with voters, Kirk Little, 78, said, “the Democratic Party disqualifies people too soon” and remains a Platner supporter, for now.
POLITICO published Racicot’s allegations shortly before the event, with Little hearing about it on his car radio.
“If it’s true, is it disqualifying historically? Yes. But since Trump, stuff like this that we used to think of as historically disqualifying isn’t,” he stated. “I’ll still vote for the guy.”
About 30 miles away in Sanford, just north of the Maine-New Hampshire border, a group of about 10 Maine voters gathered in the parking lot of a veterans community center where Platner was scheduled to appear after his town hall in Gorham. Once it became clear that he would not show, the would-be attendees started commiserating over the canceled event and the day’s news.
Rob Brandow, 41, of nearby Waterboro, leaned against the wooden fence surrounding the building and quietly followed the conversation from a few feet away. “It’s a tough one,” he told POLITICO of the allegations. “The honest answer is, I actually don’t care.”
“I think it’s possible philosophically to walk that line where I say, like, ‘Yes, those things are bad, it shouldn’t happen, and those allegations should be given appropriate due process to see the light of day,’” he said. “And simultaneously Susan Collins should not be re-elected.”
Jessica Piper contributed reporting.
