Maine Democrats are working to come up with a plan to quickly replace their embattled Senate nominee, Graham Platner, if he ends his campaign. Platner has denied the rape allegation made by a woman he previously dated and has not said whether he plans to leave the race.

Potential Candidates

Several Maine 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 aiming to have an open and transparent process to select a new nominee. Ideas floated include a mini convention or caucus. 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.

Party Response

Maine Democratic Party officials have called for Platner to drop out, and the party’s executive director, Devon Murphy-Anderson, said the process to select a new nominee would be inclusive. The party hopes to have broad participation of Mainers and Democratic voters in what happens next.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.