Graham Platner, the embattled Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, has been accused of trying to influence the process of picking his replacement amid a chorus of calls for him to withdraw from the race.
Platner has publicly said he is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” after an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied, was published on Monday.
A wave of prominent Democrats, from the progressive senator Bernie Sanders to the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, urged him to stand aside.
The Maine election is seen as a key component of the party’s effort to regain control of the US Senate in November’s midterm elections. Platner remains in the race, for now.
A senior state Democrat declared on Tuesday evening that Platner’s campaign would have “no role” in selecting his replacement, claiming that his team had tried to sway the process.
Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic party, said: “Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like. We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.
“We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race, so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November. We look forward to making this process public as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race.”
The Platner campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
As support for Platner collapsed in the wake of the recent accusations, a growing list of Democrats have signaled interest in taking his place on the November ballot.
Among them are several figures who ran in last month’s gubernatorial primary: former deputy director of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Nirav Shah; secretary of state, Shenna Bellows; and former state senate president, Troy Jackson.
Another name circulating is Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who briefly challenged Platner before switching to – and losing – the primary in Maine’s second congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Wood has reportedly been fielding calls about entering the Senate race.
In order for Democrats to finalize an alternative Senate nominee in Maine, Platner needs to end his campaign by 13 July at 5pm ET, according to state law. This would grant Democrats a two-week window – until 5pm ET on 27 July – to pick a replacement.
The Democratic nominee will face five‑term Republican Susan Collins in November’s general election.
State senator Joe Baldacci, who also contested, and lost, the primary for Maine’s second congressional district, blasted Platner for attempting to influence the selection of his replacement. “Guess what after you have put the Democratic Party in a shambles and undermined all Democratic candidates running for office in Maine, then you should have no say in who will be your successor,” Baldacci wrote this week.
Platner would be carrying “a lead weight” into the general election, added Baldacci.
