Here’s who’s vying to replace Graham Platner as Maine Democratic Senate nominee

Washington — Graham Platner’s move to suspend his Senate campaign this week after a woman accused him of sexual assault has prompted a mad dash in Maine, as Democrats position themselves as possible replacements to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November.  

After Platner officially files paperwork to withdraw, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 at 5 p.m. to select a replacement. The party announced it would hold a nominating convention to select a nominee, with details on the process forthcoming. 

While some have made clear they aren’t interested, including Rep. Jared Golden and actor Patrick Dempsey, a growing list of Democrats are making their interest clear. 

Here’s who’s vying to replace Platner on the ballot:

Shenna Bellows

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows jumped into the race for the Democratic Senate nomination this week. She said in a social media post she has taken on “tough fights for working people” throughout her career, and added: “I’m not stopping now.”

Bellows, 51, sought the governor’s mansion earlier this year, but she fell short in last month’s Democratic primary. The native of Hancock, Maine, previously served in the state Senate and as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. She is the first woman to serve as secretary of state.

It’s Bellows’ second run for Senate. In 2014, she won the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins, but lost in the general election by almost 37 percentage points.

During her gubernatorial campaign, Bellows advocated for more affordable housing and a statewide freeze on property tax increases for Maine residents, paid for by doubling property tax rates for non-resident homes.

Bellows raised just under $1.8 million during her campaign for governor. Because of Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, Bellows and two other primary candidates — former state Senate President Troy Jackson and former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree — endorsed each other. Pingree ended up winning the Democratic nomination.

Bellows, like most of the candidates now seeking to replace Platner, pushed him to drop out of the race shortly after he was accused of sexual assault earlier this week. She called the allegations — which Platner has denied — “extremely serious.” She said on X that while Platner “ignited a powerful movement to challenge the status quo, given the seriousness of the allegations, he needs to step down.”

State Rep. Valli Geiger 

State Rep. Valli Geiger, a close ally of Platner’s, has indicated interest in replacing him on the ballot. 

The 70-year-old told WMTW that Platner was supporting her bid. But she later clarified that she is one of “several people” who have supported Platner and with whom he was speaking.

A nurse and resident of the coastal town of Rockland, Geiger has served in the state Legislature for three terms.

Troy Jackson

Former state Senate President Troy Jackson also threw his name into the mix this week and filed with the Federal Election Commission for a Senate exploratory committee. 

Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the tiny northern Maine town of Allagash, told the Bangor Daily News he is the “best person” to replace Platner. 

The 58-year-old has been active in Maine politics since 2002, serving in the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate, where he was president from 2018 to 2024. 

Before Jackson positioned himself as a potential Senate candidate, he was eyeing the governor seat. He came in third in the Democratic primary this past June after raising around $1 million.

Supported by Platner and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in his gubernatorial bid, Jackson billed himself as a progressive candidate who would focus on affordable housing and lowering property taxes. In an MS NOW interview Thursday, Jackson called himself a “pickup truck progressive.”

Jackson and Sanders’ ties go back a decade, with Jackson working on his 2016 presidential campaign. Sanders said Jackson would “stand with working-class families against the enormous power of the monied interests.” Some former Platner allies have argued Jackson should succeed Platner.

Earlier in his political career, Jackson held socially conservative views on some issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage, though he has shifted to the mainstream of the Democratic Party since then and attributed some of his prior stances to the views of his rural northern Maine constituents.

Jackson urged Platner to withdraw earlier this week, writing on X that there is “no place in our politics for sexual violence.”

Dan Kleban

Dan Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Company, announced this week that he’s running to replace Platner, and made it official with an FEC filing.

Kleban, 49, briefly ran for Senate last year before suspending his campaign in October and endorsing Maine Gov. Janet Mills. His original campaign was built around Maine’s economy and affordability, combined with environmental issues. Like Platner, Kleban is a newcomer to elected politics, but the craft brewery that he founded with his brother in 2009 is well known.

Since suspending his Senate campaign, he has stayed vocal about Maine’s politics on social media, and he condemned the allegations against Platner earlier this week, calling them “horrifying and completely disqualifying.”

“Mainers deserve a Senator who will fight for them against the DC establishment while also doing what’s right,” he said.

During his initial Senate run last year, Kleban gave almost $215,000 of his own money to his campaign and raised another $244,000 from donors, according to federal records. He spent almost all of his campaign cash during his run.

Nirav Shah

Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also announced that he’s interested in becoming the Senate nominee, after coming in second in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary last month.

“Establishment politicians have failed us,” Shah said on X. “To defeat Susan Collins, we need an outsider who is not afraid to take on the broken system she has spent decades upholding.”

As Maine’s CDC director starting in 2019, Shah navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pine Tree State and has touted the state’s fast vaccine rollout. Shah went on to serve as principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Biden administration.

A Wisconsin native, Shah has degrees in law and medicine from the University of Chicago, and previously worked in public health in Illinois and Cambodia.

In his gubernatorial bid, Shah’s platform centered on “fixing housing, funding healthcare, feeding kids, and fueling growth — all while fighting the overreaches of the Trump administration.”

During his gubernatorial campaign, Shah raised more than $1 million. He contributed around $100,000 to his campaign, state campaign finance records show.

Shah — who called for Platner to drop out of the race earlier this week — said in a campaign launch news conference Thursday that there is “very little light” between him and Platner on matters of policy, but he “would not accept an endorsement from Graham, nor have I sought one.”

Shah told CBS News that Maine Democrats are “feeling a thousand emotions all at once” following the allegation against Platner earlier this week and the campaign shake-up. 

“The one I would say is overriding is the eagerness and the commitment to defeating Susan Collins in the fall,” Shah said. 

Jordan Wood

Jordan Wood, who previously sought the Senate seat last year before dropping out to run in a House race, announced he’s hoping to replace Platner on the ballot. 

Wood, a 36-year-old native of Lewiston, Maine, previously worked as chief of staff to Democratic Rep. Katie Porter before founding an organization focused on combating election denialism. He launched his campaign for Senate last year before pivoting to run for a House seat to replace moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s red-leaning 2nd Congressional District, where he fell short last month. 

In a post on X, Wood touted his work to “get big money out of politics and end corruption in Washington.”

“If I am a nominee for Senate, I’ll lead the fight to pass Medicare for All, pass sweeping anti-corruption reform, and stand up to Trump’s lawlessness,” he said.

During his House bid, Wood raised more than $5 million from donors and lent $400,000 to his campaign, the vast majority of which he spent during the campaign, according to FEC data.