A handful of Democrats have rushed to express their interest if scandal-ridden Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner drops out amid sexual assault allegations.
The six Democrats who have floated themselves as a possible candidate all either hold elected office or previously ran in a Democratic primary last month.
Maine Beer Company Founder Dan Kleban, who briefly ran for the seat last year, announced his interest in replacing Platner in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“Over the next two weeks, we need an open, transparent process to select our nominee,” he wrote. “I’m ready to fight for Mainers and bring a new generation of leadership to Washington. I believe I can unite our party and finally defeat Susan Collins in November.”
Democrat Troy Jackson, who finished third in last month’s gubernatorial primary and is a former state senator, said he was “very, very interested” in replacing Platner, arguing that “I am the best person” to do so, according to Bangor Daily News.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who lost to Collins in 2014, has expressed interest after losing the Democratic primary for governor earlier this year.
“I will seriously consider entering this race, because I believe I am uniquely fit to unite Mainers and defeat Susan Collins,” Bellows wrote in a statement.
Nirav Shah, who placed second in this year’s crowded gubernatorial race, said he was considering a run in a social media post Tuesday. Nirav oversaw the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during COVID-19 before going on to be the principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Biden administration.
“Right now, our number one priority must be defeating Senator Susan Collins,” Shah wrote. “I have been having conversations with my wife, my team, and Mainers across the state about what comes next and evaluating whether I should enter the Senate race.”
Former chief of staff to ex-Rep. Katie Porter, Jordan Wood, is another who could be a top contender. He initially ran for the Senate nomination before dropping the bid and running to replace retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), but lost his House primary.
“I am continuing conversations with voters across Maine if I should enter an open Senate race,” Wood wrote on X. “If my fellow Maine Democrats decide through an open and democratic process that I am the best candidate to defeat Susan Collins, I would be humbled by your trust.”
State Rep. Valli Gieger, one of Planter’s most vocal allies, claimed he is supporting her to be his replacement.
“He said ‘Valli you are a fighter, you have been with this movement since the beginning’,” Geiger told a local outlet in a phone call. She went on to say Platner asked if he could put her name forward and that she was interested. A Platner campaign spokesperson said he has not made any decisions on an endorsement.
A poll, reported by Politico, commissioned by Platner’s team on possible replacements showed Platner trailing Collins after the scandal broke. Jackson performed the best in the survey, leading Collins 49% to 44%.
“I think, most interestingly, you just had a very competitive primary for the 2nd district, you just had a very competitive primary with top tier people for the governor’s race, in which you know a couple folks whose names are within the lens of speculation—Nirav Shah, Troy Jackson, Shenna Bellows,” Democratic strategist Jon Reinish told the Washington Examiner. “Thousands of people just voted for them, they just ran statewide campaigns, probably smart to look there.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill and beyond began calling for Platner to drop out of the race after a Politico report detailing allegations from a woman who previously dated Platner said he sexually assaulted her while severely intoxicated five years ago. A separate report came forward just a day later when a former girlfriend of Platner came forward with allegations that he would remove condoms during sex without her consent.
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Platner hasn’t withdrawn but said he was taking time to “reflect” on his campaign’s “best path forward” in a video shortly after the latest allegations dropped.
The Maine Democratic Party said in a statement Monday that in the event Platner drops out, the selection process will be “open, transparent, and inclusive” and not “selected by an individual campaign.” Under Maine law, if Platner drops out by July 13, the state party chooses the replacement. It’s not currently clear how the party would go about doing that.