July 8 (Reuters) – Maine’s embattled Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner faces pressure to drop his candidacy following a sexual assault allegation he has denied.
If Platner drops out by July 13, state law allows the Democratic Party to name a replacement by July 27 to take on incumbent Republican Susan Collins in what is seen as one of the most competitive races in the November congressional elections.
Here are some candidates who could replace Platner if he drops out:
NIRAV SHAH
The former state health director developed a following during the COVID-19 pandemic when he delivered daily briefings that drew large audiences. As a candidate for governor, he ran as a “results-driven” technocrat and won the most votes in the June 9 primary. But he ended up losing the nomination to former House Speaker Hannah Pingree under the state’s “ranked choice” voting system, which takes voters’ second choices into account.
Shah, 49, said on Tuesday that he is “evaluating” whether to enter the Senate race if Platner drops out, and said all candidates should agree to a televised debate and multiple town hall meetings. He reiterated his support for “Medicare for All” — a proposal for a dramatic expansion of public health insurance that has become a rallying cry for the party’s left flank.
TROY JACKSON
Like Platner, the former state Senate president has blue-collar credentials and a populist platform. A fifth-generation logger from remote Allagash, Maine, Jackson, 58, was endorsed by Platner and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in his bid for governor, but finished third behind Shah and Pingree.
As a state legislator, Jackson pursued progressive policies while representing a conservative and rural part of the state. But his early-career opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion rights may prove problematic for some Democrats, even though he has since shifted his stance.
Jackson told the Bangor Daily News that he is “very, very interested” in running for Senate if Platner were to drop out, and on Tuesday a group affiliated with him filed paperwork for a possible run. A Sanders-aligned group, Our Revolution, said it is backing him to replace Platner.
SHENNA BELLOWS
Maine’s current Secretary of State, Bellows drew national attention when she ruled that Donald Trump was ineligible to appear on the 2024 Republican primary presidential ballot because he had encouraged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that she did not have that authority.
She was the Democratic Party Senate nominee in 2014 but lost to Collins 69% to 31%.
Bellows, 51, also ran for governor this year, coming in fourth place in the June primary.
JANET MILLS
Maine’s current governor was initially seen as a strong candidate to take on Collins when she announced her Senate bid last year, but suspended her campaign this spring after polls showed her trailing Platner. At 78, her age also could be a liability in a year when younger candidates have unseated older incumbents in many Democratic contests.
DAN KLEBAN
The 49-year-old co-owner of microbrewery Maine Beer Company mounted a Senate bid last year, but dropped out after a month and endorsed Mills. On Wednesday, he said he would enter the race to replace Platner, and called for an “open, transparent process” to pick a candidate.
VALLI GEIGER
The state representative, 70, a prominent Platner ally, told local TV station WMTW that he has asked her to serve as his replacement, and she said yes.
PAIGE LOUD
A social worker and political newcomer, Loud, 29, came in fourth in the Democratic primary for the state’s second U.S. House of Representatives district in June. Local media reported on Wednesday that she filed paperwork for a possible bid to replace Platner.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; editing by Deepa Babington and Will Dunham)
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