PORTLAND, Maine - The race to replace Graham Platner as Maine's Democratic Senate nominee is underway, with candidates required to file with the state party by Wednesday to be on the ballot. Eight Democrats have filed to run for the nomination, which will be decided by 601 voting delegates at a convention on July 25, organized by the Maine Democratic Party.
Platner, who was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, won the Democratic primary in June but withdrew from the race last week following allegations of rape. The state Democratic Party has set a July 27 deadline to nominate a new candidate, prompting special nomination meetings across all 16 Maine counties this weekend.
Candidates include Shah, who previously directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and emphasized his progressive platform; Jackson, a former Maine Senate President endorsed by Sanders; Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State; Wood, a former congressional staffer; Costello, who has run for Senate before; Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Company; Loud, a social worker; and Dickerson, a former state representative.
Candidates are working to unify the Democratic base and appeal to supporters of Platner, who had built a grassroots campaign before his exit from the race.