Maine Democrats are rushing to come up with a plan to quickly replace their embattled Senate nominee, Graham Platner, if he ends his campaign in the wake of a rape allegation that has left him hemorrhaging support from longtime allies.
Potential Candidates Emerge
Several Democrats have said they are weighing running if Platner exits the race. These include former gubernatorial candidates Troy Jackson and Shenna Bellows, as well as Rep. Jared Golden and Dan Kleban, the founder of Maine Beer Company.
The Maine Democratic Party is working through what a potential nominee replacement process would look like, with ideas including a mini convention or caucus. The party aims to have an open, transparent process.
Timeline and Process
If Platner withdraws from the race before 5 p.m. ET Monday, the Maine party would have until July 27 to submit a replacement name to the secretary of state. State law doesn’t specify how parties must choose their candidate, but the party would be under considerable pressure to give voters a voice.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
