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Several Democrats are tipped to replace Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner in the election if he ends his campaign, which many expect him to do following his ex-girlfriend’s rape allegations on Monday.
Under Maine law, if Platner formally withdraws as the Democratic nominee by 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party can replace him in the general election by electing a new party nominee, whose replacement must be elected on July 27.
A number of state Democrats are being discussed as viable options to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Platner’s campaign, the New York Post reported, is talking about stepping down, but that any possible replacement would have to be on the same political platform as Platner.
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US Congressman from Maine Graham Platner speaks at a town hall at the Leavitt Theater on Oct. 22, 2025, in Ogunquit, Maine. (Sophie Park/Getty Images)
Troy Jackson
Former state Senate President and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson is the name circulating on social media as a possible candidate to jump into the race less than a month after his first bid for governor failed.
“This is something I’ve never thought about, but if Graham leaves, I’m very interested and I think I’m the best person to replace him,” Jackson told the Bangor Daily News on Monday.
Jackson, who like Platner, is backed by independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, came in third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary last month.
On Tuesday, the Bangor Daily News reported that Jackson had filed papers to consider a Senate bid, the first possible candidate to do so.
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Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, participates in a news conference at the US Capitol on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Jared Golden
Democratic Representative Dan Golden, who represents the right-leaning state of Maine and especially in the rural 2nd Congressional district since the first successful election in the US House in 2018, passed away presenting a plan for the Senate last year.
Golden, a Marine veteran who served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, also decided not to seek re-election and is stepping down from Congress when his term expires early next year.
Golden, a moderate, has often been at odds with his party’s leadership over policy.
On Tuesday evening, a spokesman for Golden distanced himself from the congressman on speculation that he would run for the seat.
Angus King III
The 56-year-old son of Sen. Angus King and the Democratic Alliance 2026 councilor who finished in the bottom of the pack by single digits in last month’s primary are considering a bid for the Senate if Platner drops out of the race.
In a statement sent to News Center Maine, King said: “Right now, I’m taking time to reflect, spend time with my family, and think about how I can contribute more to the state I love. I’ve never been motivated to run for office. If I decide to run again for any position, it will be because I believe I have something meaningful to offer and because it’s the right way to help the office itself.”
Janet Mills
Mills, the current Democratic governor until his term expires in January, suspended his Senate campaign in April citing a fundraising deficit after jumping into the race in October 2025 with the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The 78-year-old governor went on to vote in the June primary and received 19.2% of the vote compared to Platner’s 72.1%.
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Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has a term limit of 2026, leading to a crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Shanna Bellows
Attention was also focused on Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who was running as a leading contender in the gubernatorial primary.
Bellows, the first woman to serve as Maine’s Secretary of State, drew national attention during the 2024 election cycle for trying to unseat President Donald Trump in the state election.
“Although Graham has created a powerful organization to challenge the status quo, due to the seriousness of the allegations, he must step down,” said Bellows, speaking of Platner in a social media post on Monday.
Sarah Gideon
Former Speaker of the House of Maine, Sara Gideon, has been nominated as a member of the Democratic Senate in the 2020 election.
Polls indicate that Gideon leads Sen. Longtime GOP incumbent Susan Collins, but Gideon ended up losing by nine points.
Paige Loud
Loud, a social worker, finished fourth out of four in the Democratic primary for the 2nd DRM District earlier this year, finishing with 10% of the vote.
“Paige has applied to become a member of the Senate during the year 2026 because of Platner’s situation,” Loud’s spokesperson said on Tuesday. “In the event that Platner steps down, Paige is busy keeping options open for fans across the country who have expressed a desire to have a woman nominated.”
Nirav Shah
Dr. Nirav Shah, who finished second in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, is being considered as a possible replacement for Platner.
Shah served as director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to early 2023 and directed the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He later served as deputy executive director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“In the past 24 hours, my team and I have received hundreds of encouraging messages, as Graham Platner announced that he will withdraw from the Maine US Senate seat,” Shah said in a statement on Tuesday.
He added that he had been in discussions and evaluating “whether I should enter the Senate race.”
Shah, who is considered more moderate than Platner, insisted, “I’m not a politician, and I’m not an insider.”
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Dr. Nirav D. Shah, then-director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during a news conference about COVID-19 at the Maine Emergency Management Agency in Augusta. (Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Jordan Wood
Wood, who served as chief of staff to Rep. Katie Porter of California, last year launched a Senate bid in Maine. But as Platner’s political star began to rise, Wood changed his bid to the US House in the 2nd Congressional District race to succeed Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.
Wood, who vowed to deal with the establishment and fight corruption, ended up coming third in the Democratic Alliance primaries last month.
“I am continuing to have conversations with voters across Maine about whether to run for the open Senate race,” Wood wrote in a social media post Tuesday. “If my fellow Maine Democrats decide through an open and democratic process that I am the best person to defeat Susan Collins, I would be humbled by your trust.”
David Costello
Former Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources David Costello has been nominated for the Democratic Senate seat in Maine in the 2024 election, coming in third place to Sen. Independent Angus King.
Costello ran for a second consecutive term, coming in a distant third to Platner in last month’s Democratic Senate primary.
In a social media post Tuesday, Costello wrote, “I’m back, if Graham Platner quits,” and suggested he believes he’s “the best person to beat Susan Collins.”
Dan Kleban
Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban is also considered a possible candidate. A source in Kleban’s camp said that the candidate has been receiving phone calls and encouragement to run again.
State law does not require a new primary election or specify how a successor should be chosen, leaving the process to the internal rules of the Maine Democratic Party. Party leaders said in a press release on Monday that they intend to use an open and inclusive process, although they have not said how a successor will be chosen.
On Tuesday night, the Maine Democrats X account posted a video reacting to the situation.
“As you know, the Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock [clock] and we are committed to ensuring that Democrats across the board [Maine] [have a voice in the process],” said Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson.
“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has reached out to us repeatedly in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale to decide who will be the next Democratic nominee in the US. [Senate]. We reiterated it [that the focus] in Maine can 1783505621 focus on defeating Susan Collins in November as soon as Graham Platner officially withdraws from the race.”
