Can Democrats Still Replace Graham Platner? Yes, But It’s Complicated
With Democrats abandoning Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after new sexual assault accusations dropped on Monday, the party is evaluating options on how to move forward with the general election less than four months away.
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There is still time for Maine Democrats to replace Platner on November’s general election ballot.
If Platner were to withdraw by 5 p.m. next Monday, July 13, Democrats would then have until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27, to select a new nominee. Maine Democrats would not hold another primary. Instead, party officials would choose a replacement. The deadlines are designed to give election officials enough time to finalize and print general election ballots.
If Platner remains in the race after the July 13 cutoff, Democrats cannot replace him, and his name will remain on the November ballot. Maine law allows later replacements only if the candidate dies or suffers an incapacitating illness or injury.
Similar to Democrats replacing President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, Maine Democrats could choose a new nominee without holding another primary.
Platner, who easily won last month’s Democratic primary, is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the cycle’s most closely watched Senate races. His campaign was thrown into turmoil after former girlfriends described his volatile behavior and claimed he knew the meaning behind his Nazi tattoo. On Monday, POLITICO published a report in which a woman accused him of raping her in 2021. Platner denied the claim.
The accusation led multiple Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and the Maine Democratic Party, to call on Platner to withdraw.
In a video released Monday, he said the accusation was false and added that he was taking time to “reflect on the best path forward.”
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 6, 2026
That leaves Maine Democrats with less than a week to determine whether to continue pressuring him to step aside or prepare to move forward with him as the party’s nominee.
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