Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he would sit out Maine’s Democratic primary to replace former candidate Graham Platner.
“I’m staying out of Maine,” he told Politico Tuesday, when asked if he would be making an endorsement before the July 25 convention to replace Platner.
Maine Democrats are scrambling to find a replacement after their nominee dropped out over sexual misconduct allegations, with no clear favorite to replace him so far. In a sign of how toxic intraparty rivalries have gotten within the Democratic Party, Schumer said that he wouldn’t intervene in the primary, likely cognizant of the endorsement being used against the candidate to pin them as an establishment stooge.
Two sources close to Schumer told the outlet that he was standing back over concerns that any endorsement would backfire.
“He doesn’t want to put his thumb on the scale,” a Democratic strategist said of his reasoning. “Anyone he wants would be toxic.”
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), second only to Schumer in power among Senate Democrats, voiced his agreement with Schumer’s approach.
“At this point, there are so many nominees and possibilities, I can see why he’s holding back,” he told the outlet.
The move is a rare one from Schumer, who has thrown himself into other primary races between centrists and the left wing of the party. Several major victories from Democratic Socialists of America candidates have put him on the back foot, and his move vis-à-vis Maine shows he’s become aware of his limitations.
Many socialist candidates have won partially due to their anti-establishment rhetoric, with many progressive challengers saying they refuse to back Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to stay in their leadership positions.
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Schumer’s limitations had already been exposed with Platner’s Maine victory, when he triumphed over Schumer’s preferred candidate, Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME). He endorsed and stood by the governor even as her polling against Platner turned abysmal, dropping out before the primary election was held after she began trailing him by nearly 40 points. Schumer reluctantly embraced Platner after his victory, even standing by him after his first sexual misconduct allegations came out.
Like nearly all other major Democrats, Schumer finally turned against Platner after he was accused of rape.