Over one month after Graham Platner suspended his Senate campaign in Maine due to a series of sexual assault allegations, his supporters said they are planning to write his name first on the ranked-choice voting ballot in November over Democratic nominee Troy Jackson.
The move was revealed in a private Facebook group announcement in which the organizer claimed Platner endorsed the “write-in” strategy.
Under this plan, Jackson would be ranked as the second choice while Platner would take the top spot. The goal is to shore up enough support to beat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who is running for a sixth term.
Platner “has a mission for his supporters that I told him I would pass on to all of you,” Scott Talkoot wrote in the message. “Show up to the poll in November, Write-In Graham as your #1 choice, and rank Troy Jackson as your #2 choice. Under ranked-choice voting, voting Graham #1 honors our movement, while ranking Troy #2 ensures we consolidate our collective strength to defeat Susan Collins.”
The plea from Platner’s supporters comes just ahead of a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline for the withdrawn candidate to register as a write-in option for the general election.
The former Democratic nominee has indicated he does not intend to declare himself a write-in candidate, according to the Facebook group.
“We will be texting Graham today in one more attempt to persuade him to reconsider registering as a write-in,” Talkoot wrote. “Regardless, the mission stays the same and this time we have Graham’s endorsement.”
The Washington Examiner was unable to reach Platner. The Washington Examiner also contacted Jackson’s campaign for comment.
Proponents of the grassroots write-in campaign for Platner are upset he was forced to exit the race. They believe his abrupt departure was orchestrated by the political establishment. Platner suspended his campaign in July as he failed to overcome salacious allegations from his former girlfriends. He subsequently endorsed Jackson.
“We refuse to sit quietly while Graham Platner was stripped from the Senate race under suspicious timing, omitted details, and zero opportunity to defend himself,” the private group’s Facebook account said. “Graham put his life on the line serving this country and returned with PTSD. PTSD is a service-related illness, not a character flaw — and using it to orchestrate a political removal is disgraceful.”
Meanwhile, calls for writing Platner’s name on the November ballot are growing. The idea was raised in a recent Bangor Daily News op-ed penned by Scott Niemi of Lewiston, Maine.
“Our strategy is clear and cooperative,” Niemi wrote. “First choice: Write in Graham Platner to prove that the establishment doesn’t get to overrule the will of Maine voters. Second choice: Rank Troy Jackson second to keep the seat competitive and ensure the anti-establishment vote remains united against Susan Collins.”
The author warned write-in votes for Platner won’t be tallied if he doesn’t submit his declaration of write-in candidacy to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows by end of business on Tuesday. But if he does, those votes could benefit Jackson’s campaign.
“If Graham does not have enough votes to advance during tabulation, those ballots are not wasted, they transfer over to Jackson in the next round if he is ranked second,” Niemi said. “I believe it is a mathematically solid plan to defeat Collins come election time.”
GRAHAM PLATNER TO SPEAK AT FIRST EVENT AFTER SUSPENDING MAINE SENATE CAMPAIGN
It remains to be seen what Platner decides on the write-in question, but his supporters are confident he is not walking away from public life or politics entirely.
Graham is slated to make his next public appearance at a Labor Day rally in Ellsworth, Maine, according to the private Facebook group spearheading the write-in strategy.