Graham Platner Officially Withdraws from Maine Senate Race

Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, officially withdrew his candidacy on July 10, 2026, submitting paperwork to the secretary of state. He denies a rape allegation that prompted his suspension of the campaign two days earlier.

Withdrawal and Allegations

Platner's withdrawal becomes official after he said in an 11-minute video on July 8 that he would leave the race, citing financial challenges following the allegation. In a letter to the secretary of state, he wrote that "people are desperate for change" and called for a new kind of politics, but did not address the allegation Source: AP. Platner called the allegations "false" and said the Democratic establishment used them to force him out Source: NPR. The Maine Democratic Party executive director said dropping out "was the right thing to do" because the allegations were "very credible" Source: The Guardian.

Replacement Process

Maine Democrats have until July 27 to select a new nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins Source: AP. The state party committee voted to hold a nominating convention of roughly 600 delegates, including about 500 elected from counties and 100 state committee members Source: CNN. Candidates have until July 15 to declare intent and gather signatures Source: NPR. Several candidates have already launched campaigns, including:

• Nirav Shah, former Maine CDC director Source: AP
• Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State Source: AP
• Troy Jackson, former Maine Senate President Source: AP
• Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company Source: AP

The convention process raises questions about delegate selection and voting rules, with ranked-choice voting a possibility Source: CNN.