Maine Democrats are facing a significant financial challenge after Graham Platner’s withdrawal from the Senate race. Platner, a 41-year-old combat veteran and oysterman, had raised $16.3 million through May 20 and held nearly $2.2 million in cash on hand. However, his successor will start from a severe financial disadvantage, with most potential replacements effectively starting from scratch.

Financial Struggles

Gov. Janet Mills, who appears to be in the best financial position to challenge Republican incumbent Susan Collins, has roughly $717,000 in cash on hand. This is about one-third of Platner’s total and 13 times smaller than Collins’ bankroll. Other potential replacements, such as former state Senate President Troy Jackson and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, cannot use the funds they raised for state office in a federal race.

According to University of Maine political scientist Mark Brewer, the financial struggles faced by the Democrats will be significant. Brewer stated that the party’s focus on finding a replacement for Platner is overshadowing the deeper issue of the financial disadvantage they will face. He also noted that there is no easy way to make up the financial ground, especially with only three months left before Election Day.

Potential Workaround

A recent Supreme Court decision may provide a possible workaround for the Democrats. The court struck down limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates. This means that Platner could potentially transfer his remaining funds to a Democratic Party entity, which could then coordinate a spending strategy with the chosen candidate.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.