Maine Democrats Select New Nominee to Challenge Susan Collins

The Maine Democratic Party is conducting an accelerated process to replace Senate nominee Graham Platner, who withdrew in July 2026 following allegations of rape and reports of Nazi sympathies. To meet a July 27 certification deadline, the party held county-level meetings on July 18 to elect delegates who will vote for a new nominee at a convention in Bangor on July 25.

About a dozen candidates, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, are vying for the nomination. In a July 16 debate and a subsequent press questionnaire, candidates largely aligned with Platner's progressive agenda, voicing support for Medicare for All and calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This push for abolition followed a fatal shooting in Biddeford where an ICE agent killed 25-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero.

Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, has faced intense criticism from the Democratic field over her funding of ICE. During a Portland speaking engagement, Collins defended her record, arguing that defunding the agency completely would be a mistake, though she called for an impartial investigation into the Biddeford shooting. While some candidates like Ashley Webb have gained viral attention for their outsider status, U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has declined to intervene in the replacement process.