Because the Maine Democratic Celebration scrambles to get well from the collapsed Senate campaign of Graham Platner, on the state get together headquarters the cellphone hasn’t stopped ringing for 31-year-old Government Director Devon Murphy-Anderson and her small group — together with a rising military of unpaid volunteers.
They‘re going through uncharted political waters since Platner withdrew from the election final week within the race in opposition to Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins whereas persevering with to disclaim an allegation of sexual assault that derailed his candidacy.
The get together is now constructing a candidate choice course of from scratch in a race that would resolve which get together controls the Senate.
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a city corridor on the Elks Lodge 188, June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
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2 weeks to decide on a brand new candidate…
“As everybody now is aware of within the nation, we owe the Secretary of State at 5 p.m. on Monday, July twenty seventh, a reputation,” Murphy-Anderson advised ABC Information’ Jay O’Brien on Saturday. She added later, “We have got two weeks … so our purpose going into this was to make this as truthful and clear and inclusive a course of as doable.”
Democrats plan a 601-person get together conference to be held on July 25, simply two days earlier than the deadline. These delegates will embody 101 members from the state get together’s central committee and 500 delegates from all of Maine’s 16 counties. Voters can even have a say, Murphy-Anderson advised O’Brien, together with conferences inside their native events beforehand.
“That is the largest drawback going through you guys, is not it? Ensuring that voters who voted in that main overwhelmingly for Graham Platner really feel represented?” O’Brien requested.
Maine Democratic Celebration Government Director Devon Murphy-Anderson mentioned the get together’s purpose for its candidate choice course of is “to make this as truthful and clear and inclusive a course of as doable.”
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“I feel we face numerous challenges, proper? And that’s positively one in every of them,” Murphy-Anderson mentioned, including later, “The grassroots vitality that we had up till this second must discover a residence.”
O’Brien pressed Murphy Anderson: “Are you frightened that it won’t?”
“No, I am not. And if you’re right here on the bottom in Maine, I’m assured that you’ll come away with that very same conclusion,” Murphy-Anderson responded.
Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine fight veteran, constructed up an rebel, progressive marketing campaign and guided it by means of different scandals and controversies, together with experiences he despatched sexually specific messages to a number of ladies shortly after he was married in 2023, in addition to questions on a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi image.
Platner mentioned he acquired the tattoo whereas he was drunk on depart with different Marines in 2007; he later coated it up, claiming he hadn’t identified its significance.
Progressives equivalent to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., largely caught by him till lower than per week in the past when an ex-girlfriend accused Platner of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. A refrain of Democrats — together with Sanders — then called on him to step aside.
Platner initially dragged his ft, and even when he introduced he would droop his bid, claimed, “I realized about this [allegation] by means of press inquiries, with no time to really reply, no time for investigations, earlier than a company media system and the political institution acquired to behave as decide, jury, and executioner.”
However in a defiant video final week, Murphy-Anderson blamed Platner and his marketing campaign for basically holding the method of choosing a substitute hostage.
Platner’s marketing campaign confirmed it had reached out to the get together, however denied making an attempt to affect the choice course of, saying the marketing campaign was making an attempt to grasp how Platner would get replaced on the poll.
“What gave you that impression that they had been making an attempt to dictate phrases right here?” O’Brien requested Murphy-Anderson.
She declined to share specifics of the calls for she mentioned Platner’s group made, however mentioned that they had made “direct calls to my cellphone,” later saying they “known as with very particular issues that they had been asking for.”
“This marketing campaign that had been centered on not placing their thumb on the dimensions, was now making an attempt to do the identical factor, and his supporters deserved higher, our supporters deserved higher, and Mainers deserve higher,” Murphy-Anderson advised O’Brien.
When he in the end ended his marketing campaign, Platner blamed “massive forces” working in opposition to him after Senate management threatened to drag marketing campaign funding.
“We consider that for the motion to proceed, it may well’t be me” on the poll, he mentioned in an 11-minute video posted on social media late Wednesday, however added, “These in energy who’ve the flexibility to take action are utilizing these allegations as an excuse to remove the entire issues that we have to run a marketing campaign.”
Murphy-Anderson pushed again sharply on that insinuation.
“This isn’t an establishment. You are right here in our workplace. There is not any cigar smoke to be seen, proper? It’s a bunch of younger individuals,” she advised O’Brien.
“However he did form of create that impression,” O’Brien pressed.
“I do not know what his finish purpose was, and I am not involved with that,” Murphy-Anderson responded.
Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Dr. Nirav Shah speaks to a city corridor assembly in Freeport, Maine, on July 11, 2026.
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…and a pair of weeks for them to make their case to tackle Collins
Whereas just a few days outdated, the race to exchange Platner is already in full swing. No less than seven hopefuls to date, together with statewide leaders and former candidates for different races, are pitching themselves as the most effective wager to unseat Collins, Maine’s longtime Republican senator. She is the one Republican defending a Senate seat this 12 months in a state Trump misplaced in 2024.
The checklist of candidates contains former State Senate President and logger Troy Jackson, who’s making an attempt to select up Platner’s working class mantle; in addition to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine Beer Firm founder Dan Kleban and the state’s former CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah.
On the first cease on Shah’s new city corridor tour launched within the wake of Platner’s withdrawal, Shah advised O’Brien he was not frightened Platner’s scandals have made it more durable to defeat Collins, and that he doesn’t assume he’s misplaced priceless time as a candidate regardless of launching his bid so late.
“Our mission hasn’t modified. The one that’s going to be on the entrance of that mission is altering, however the need, the keenness, the zeal amongst Democrats to defeat Susan Collins has not modified in any respect,” Shah mentioned.
Collins, who has gained 5 Senate races in Maine, says the change in her opponent doesn’t influence her strategy.
“I by no means take any race without any consideration,” she told ABC affiliate WMTW on Saturday.
Graham Platner supporter Sandra Smith Congdon mentioned she thinks most of those that backed Platner will come out to help the brand new candidate, however it gained’t be simple.
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Former Platner supporters have a look at the street forward
However Democrats face the extra problem of uniting behind a brand new candidate, as some former Platner supporters say they’re grieving the withdrawal of their most popular candidate and hoping their second selection does not harm Democrats’ probabilities in November.
Mark Learn, a Democrat who supported Platner, advised O’Brien, “I feel most of us had been interested in the politics that he spoke to.”
One other Platner supporter, Sandra Smith Congdon, advised O’Brien she thinks most of those that backed Platner will come out to help the brand new candidate in the long run, though it gained’t be simple.
“I feel individuals will take a while, however I feel in the end they’ll. I feel that they should get behind whoever the nominee is and help that individual to beat Susan Collins, as a result of in the end that is what issues,” she mentioned.
