These 12 Democrats could replace Graham Platner
Maine Democrats must act quickly to find a new choice after controversial Senate candidate Graham Platner withdrew from the race following sexual assault allegations.
But they already have some options.
Platner said he was suspending his campaign in a lengthy 11-minute video posted on social media on July 8. The announcement came after Platner said he was "taking time to reflect on the best path forward" in a video on July 6. He has until July 13 to withdraw and be replaced on statewide ballots.
The state's unprecedented last-minute rush for a replacement echoes the sprint campaign Kamala Harris launched after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July 2024.
Process could be swift, behind the scenes
The Maine Democratic Party would be responsible for naming a replacement by July 27.
Incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins, 73, holds the seat. But the race is widely viewed as an opportunity for Democrats to pick up a seat and flip the balance of the body from Republican control.
Maine Democratic Party leadership announced on July 8 that they will hold a nominating convention after asking Platner to withdraw two days earlier. State party leaders said more details and a timeline would be announced "soon."
"We will keep the public informed throughout this process," they said, "Transparency is of the utmost importance."
Stat law provides for no specific mechanism, other than directing the political committee to make "a replacement nomination" by July 27.
This situation is unprecedented in Maine, according to two political scientists in the state. Maine Democrats truly have "free rein" in selecting a replacement, said University of Maine political science professor Mark Brewer.
"They could have it be done by the party leadership, right? Classic old-style, smoke-filled room politics. I don't think they're going to do that, because the optics on that would be terrible," Brewer said. "They could have a party convention, which is more open, but maybe not as open as some folks would like. They could have a caucus. It would be tight to pull off a caucus at this point, but they could do it."
Brewer also said the party could accept applications and make a unilateral decision.
Who are the top contenders to replace Platner?
Troy Jackson, 58
Allagash-native Troy Jackson announced on July 8 that he's running to replace Platner. He's already seen as the odds-on favorite to replace Platner, according to local political commentators and some leading prediction market platforms.
Jackson, a logger, was president of the Maine Senate from 2018 to 2024. He lost gubernatorial races in 2014 and 2026. He lost the primary to Hannah Pingree.
Jackson and Platner endorsed each other this year, and Jackson's gubernatorial run racked up support from labor leaders and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna. Jackson has been endorsed by Our Revolution, the grassroots political action organization born out of Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
"I think Troy Jackson would be the closest thing to Platner in terms of his populism, on being critical of corporations, emphasizing labor unions," Jim Melcher, a political science professor at the University of Maine at Farmington, told USA TODAY. "I would think that Platner's base would be most happy with Jackson."
The Bangor Daily News reported Jackson was the first to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 7 to raise funds to replace Platner.
Shenna Bellows, 51
Bellows is Maine's secretary of state and ran for governor in 2026 but was defeated in the primary.
Bellows served in the Maine Senate from 2016 to 2020. She worked previously for the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, the American Civil Liberties Union, and she ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2014.
Bellows called on Platner to step down, but did not comment on her own candidacy.
David Costello, 66
Costello ran against Platner in the primary and lost earlier this year.
The Bangor native is an environmental policy consultant. He worked for USAID abroad, and as an aid to the mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland.
Costello posted on social media that if Platner drops out, "I'm back in."
Patrick Dempsey, 60
Dempsey, who played "McDreamy" Dr. Derek Shepherd, the fictional neurosurgeon on Grey's Anatomy, announced on July 8 that he is not running for the Senate.
Dempsey, a Lewiston native, would've attracted immediate national attention, said that after being repeatedly asked, and giving it some "real thought," he would not seek to replace the scandal-ridden Platner.
"I love my home state of Maine. I care deeply about the people who live there and, like so many Americans, I'm concerned about the direction our country is heading," Dempsey wrote in an an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald.
"Not because I was looking for a new career, but because I asked myself an honest question: Could I make a meaningful difference?" Dempsey said. "That question led me to another one I think matters even more: What kind of leadership are we really looking for?"
He has continuously maintained strong ties to the state, owning a home in Kennebunkport. In 2008, Dempsey opened the Dempsey Center in Lewiston to provide "personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost."
Dempsey wrote that issues such as health care shouldn't be "a partisan issue," and education should be improved across the board. He said that Maine residents should look for a candidate who offers "a new approach" to how we govern ourselves.
He said that Maine residents should look for a candidate who offers "a new approach" to how we govern ourselves.
"I want someone who leads with empathy. Someone who listens before speaking, who has the courage to work with people they disagree with, and who understands that public office isn't about power," Dempsey said. "It's about service.
"Most of all, I want integrity," Dempsey added. "That may sound idealistic today, but it shouldn't."
Jared Golden, 43
U.S. Representative Golden is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He announced last year he would not seek re-election to Congress in 2026, lamenting the toll politics took on his family.
Golden did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Melcher said that it's unlikely Golden has the appetite to run. Plus, Melcher said, he's always been close with Collins, the incumbent, and is likely too conservative for Platner's base.
Aaron Frey, 46
Frey was elected to the state's house of representatives in 2012 and has served as attorney general since 2018.
Frey has not weighed in publicly on the Platner situation. Frey endorsed Hannah Pingree for governor in May.
He is term-limited in his state position and is frequently mentioned as a candidate for higher office.
Sara Gideon, 54
Gideon is the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. She ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Collins in 2020.
Gideon has not made any public statements about replacing Platner.
Campaign watchers have noted she still has an active campaign account with funds to burn.
Dan Kleban, 48
The Maine Beer Company's co-founder, Kleban, announced in a July 8 post on both social media and Substack that he'll jump back into the contest should Platner drop out.
"I've been overwhelmed by the countless calls from Mainers encouraging me to consider this race. I love Maine and everything it has given me. It's where my wife of 22 years and I have raised our teenage twins," Kleban in a post on X. "And after talking with them, I'm in."
Kleban originally announced he was a candidate for the Senate in September 2025, but he withdrew when Maine Gov. Janet Mills entered the race, as his name did not appear on the June primary ballot. Mills, a Democrat, dropped out in April after polls showed her well behind Platner.
He did not appear on the June primary ballot.
Before his re-entry in the Senate race, Kleban called the allegations against Platner "horrifying and completely disqualifying," asking the then-nominee to step aside immediately in a July 6 social media post.
Now, Kleban said in his July 8 post that for too long, the race has not been about Collins' "repeated failures to do what's right in Maine." Kleban said he believes that Collins enables President Donald Trump and called for a fair and open process to potentially select a new Democratic nominee.
"It's time for a new generation of leadership in Washington, one that is not beholden to the establishment that has failed us time and time again," Kleban said. "I believe I can unite our party and finally defeat Susan Collins in November."
Janet Mills, 78
Mills initially ran against Collins, but suspended her campaign in April. Her current term ends in January 2027.
She served as Maine's attorney general and in the state's House of Representatives.
Mills has been quiet about both Platner's future and her own path to the ballot. She declined to endorse Platner after suspending her campaign. In May, after the first wave of controversial stories about Platner emerged, Mills reminded voters she was technically "still on the ballot" before losing the June 9 primary.
Mills did not immediately return a request for comment on whether she would restart her Senate campaign if Platner drops out. Melcher suggested many Platner supporters would be unhappy if she were the nominee, as they wanted a younger candidate outside the establishment.
Chellie Pingree, 71
Pingree serves as one of Maine's congressional representatives. She was elected in 2008 and represents the southern portion of the state.
She lost to Collins in the 2002 U.S. Senate race. Pingree called on Platner to drop out of the race on July 6, but did not reply immediately to a request for comment.
Nirav Shah, 49
Shah placed second in the gubernatorial primary this year. The economist and epidemiologist worked at state and federal health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, briefly serving as acting director in 2023.
Shah was the public face of Maine's response to the COVID-19 pandemic with daily press conferences.
Shah signaled on social media July 7 that he would be open to replacing Platner and is in discussion with his family, team, and voters.
He called for a "transparent and open" nomination process and committed to a televised debate and town halls if he runs.
Jordan Wood, 36
A past staffer for former Rep. Katie Porter of California, Wood ran unsuccessfully for Maine's 2nd Congressional District this year, as well as its Senate seat.
Wood told USA TODAY he would be open to replacing Platner, "if my fellow Maine Democrats decide through an open and democratic process" to choose him.
"To beat Susan Collins, Mainers deserve a candidate who will provide a true contrast, and run on a progressive platform, fighting to pass Medicare for All, stop ICE terrorizing our streets, and stand up to Donald Trump's abuse of power," Wood said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These 12 Democrats could replace Graham Platner
Reporting by Nick Penzenstadler, Margie Cullen and Terry Collins, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 8:45 AM.