Who will replace Platner on the Maine ballot? These Democrats are
raising their hands
[July 10, 2026]
By PATRICK WHITTLE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to
become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after
progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the
race after a sexual assault allegation.
Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by
July 27, according to state law. Whoever is selected will have less than
four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the
general election. Potential candidates had already been teasing their
interest before Platner, who denies the allegation, announced he intends
to drop out. Platner is expected to file paperwork to formally withdraw
on Monday, the deadline to do so.
But a growing number began formally launching their campaigns Thursday.
The Maine Democratic Party has said it will hold a nominating convention
to choose the replacement. The party says the convention will involve
hundreds of delegates from across the state, but how and when that’ll
take place remains unknown.
Maine is considered a key state for control of the narrowly divided
Senate, and Democrats are desperate for a candidate capable of defeating
Collins while President Donald Trump is broadly unpopular.
Gov. Janet Mills, who sought the nomination during the primary campaign
and suspended her campaign in late April, has not indicated if she's
interested in running.
These are some of the people who have shown interest in the Maine Senate
race:
Troy Jackson
Jackson is Maine’s former state Senate president. He unsuccessfully ran
to be the Democratic nominee for governor earlier this year with the
backing of Platner and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Shortly after Platner
said he would quit the Senate race, Jackson launched his campaign,
arguing that Mainers want “a progressive fighter." Our Revolution, the
organization founded by Sanders, has since said it would back Jackson,
58.
Jackson released a statement with dozens of endorsements, many from
current and former state and local officials, on Thursday.
Nirav Shah
Shah, former director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, announced Thursday he was vying to be the next Democratic
Senate candidate. He came in second in this year’s Maine Democratic
governor's primary and was seen as more of a moderate candidate compared
with Jackson while running for governor. Shah held a news conference
Thursday in which he encouraged Platner supporters to join him.
“You have an important place in this campaign and we welcome your
voices,” Shah said. “This campaign represents the values that we all
care about.”
Dan Kleban
The co-founder of Maine Beer Company, Kleban also confirmed his
candidacy on Wednesday after Platner's announcement. Kleban briefly
entered the Senate race last year before dropping out when Mills
announced her candidacy. Kleban, 49, endorsed Mills, who later dropped
out of the Democratic primary.
“I'm ready to fight for Mainers and bring a new generation of leadership
to Washington,” Kleban said.
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The headquarters for former Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
Graham Platner is quiet Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Ellsworth, Maine.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Shenna Bellows
Bellows is Maine's secretary of state. She announced Thursday that
she's running for the seat, saying she's spent her career “taking on
tough fights and doing the right thing," where she's served as a
former civil liberties advocate and sparred with President-elect
Donald Trump over ballot access.
This wouldn't be her first time running for political office.
Bellows, 51, placed fourth in the state’s Democratic governor's
primary in June. And in 2014, Bellows ran against Collins as the
Senate Democratic nominee and lost in a landslide.
Jordan Wood
Wood, 36, initially attempted to run in the Maine Democratic Senate
primary last year but dropped out to run in the state's 2nd
District. He lost that race, coming in third to state Auditor Matt
Dunlap. He's since said he's interested in running for the Senate
again, and announced on Thursday.
“To beat Susan Collins, we need a candidate who can provide a true
contrast and run an unapologetically progressive campaign: Passing
Medicare for All. Stopping ICE terrorizing our streets,” Wood wrote
on social media on Tuesday.
Paige Loud
Loud filed paperwork to run for the Senate seat earlier this week.
The 29-year-old social worker also ran in the state's 2nd District
Democratic primary, but came in last during the state's first round
of ranked choice voting.
Valli Geiger
Geiger, a previous Platner supporter and a state Democratic
lawmaker, is another potential candidate. She hasn't announced her
candidacy, but in an interview with MS NOW on Wednesday, Geiger, 70,
said she would hire Platner's staff, whom she described as “deeply
impassioned and confident young people.”
David Costello
Costello ran in the June primary and finished third behind Platner,
who won, and Mills, who was still on the ballot despite having
suspended her campaign. Costello announced Thursday that he is back
in the race. He said in a social media post that he believes he is
the right candidate because his “lived experiences are rooted in the
same challenges countless Mainers face every day.”
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Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I.
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