Who could replace Graham Platner in Maine’s Senate race? Here are the names being floated.
Maine gubernatorial candidate Nirav Shah speaks during the Maine Democratic Convention in Portland in May. Shah is one of several names being discussed as potential options should Graham Platner withdraw as Maine Democrats' Senate nominee. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
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As calls grow for Graham Platner to drop out of the Maine Senate race, some are already lining up to replace him on the ballot.
Platner, who became the Democratic nominee last month, had his campaign rocked Monday by an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2021. Platner denied the allegations, which were first reported by Politico. But many of his prominent backers, including senators and national groups, have rescinded their support.
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Platner would have to withdraw from the race by 5 p.m. Monday for Democrats to replace him with another candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a five-term incumbent.
Here’s a nonexhaustive list of possible replacements. (Apologies to “Grey’s Anatomy” fans: Though the actor Patrick Dempsey‘s name has been floated, he didn’t make our cut.)
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows talks to reporters on February 26, in the Maine State House in Augusta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
SHENNA BELLOWS
Bellows, 51, is Maine’s secretary of state, a former state lawmaker and the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. She ran for the Democratic nomination for governor, coming in fourth with nearly 21% of the first-round votes.
The Hancock resident captured headlines in 2024 for ruling that President Donald Trump was ineligible for Maine’s primary ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. She also made standing up to Trump a centerpiece of her gubernatorial campaign.
Bellows challenged Collins for U.S. Senate in 2014 and lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin. But much has changed since then, as Collins has become increasingly unpopular amid political polarization.
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Bellows issued a statement Tuesday that focused on the need to defeat Collins and hold Trump accountable.
“This race has never been about one person,” she said. “This is about a movement and campaign that will fight the powerful, stand up for Mainers and beat Susan Collins.”
David Costello, candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during the Maine Democratic Convention in Portland in May. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
DAVID COSTELLO
Costello, 65, ran in the Democratic primary but received only 8% of the vote. He also ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, in 2024.
The Brunswick resident has more than 30 years of senior-level experience in federal, state and local government, both in the U.S. and abroad.
In a news release Tuesday, Costello confirmed his interest in replacing Platner if he withdraws.
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Rep. Jared Golden fields a question in November 2024 during a press conference at his campaign office in Lewiston. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) Purchase this image
JARED GOLDEN
Golden, 43, is finishing his fourth term as the congressman representing Maine’s 2nd District, the largest district in terms of acreage east of the Mississippi River — and one that leans Republican.
Golden issued a statement Tuesday saying that he believes the woman who made the latest allegation against Platner, but he did not address whether Platner should withdraw. He hadn’t previously weighed in on the controversies surrounding Platner. Both are combat veterans who served in the U.S. Marines.
Golden announced last fall that he was not seeking reelection to the U.S. House, citing ongoing polarization and the increased threat of violence against elected officials.
It would be surprising if Golden expresses interest in running. And it’s unclear whether the party faithful, who turned out in droves to support Platner’s progressive agenda, would embrace him, given his moderate voting record.
A spokesman confirmed Tuesday night that Golden has no desire to seek the Democratic Senate nomination if Platner withdraws.
“If Congressman Golden wanted the nomination, he would have put his name forward many months ago,” Mario Moretto said in a text message.
Golden got his start in politics by working in Collins’ office on Capitol Hill. As a Democratic congressman, he has developed a similar moderate reputation as Collins by opposing his party on some issues important to its left flank. But he is an outspoken support of worker rights, fair wages, reproductive freedom and campaign finance reform.
Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson talks to the media during his watch party in Bruno’s in Portland last month. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
TROY JACKSON
Jackson, a 58-year-old former logger from Allagash, is a former Maine Senate president who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Jackson’s supporters have launched a “Draft Troy” movement — and on Tuesday Jackson formed an exploratory committee to consider a run and filed with the Federal Election Commission, positioning himself to potentially replace Platner on the November ballot. Jackson was Platner’s closest ally among the Democratic gubernatorial field but has since rescinded his endorsement.
Like Platner, Jackson’s candidacy was backed by labor unions and progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who headlined three rallies in Maine before the primaries.
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Jackson’s first taste of activism was joining his father and other loggers on the picket lines as a child as they went on strike against a corporate landowner in Maine and Canada. About a decade later, he led a blockade to protest Canadian loggers working in Maine.
Jackson has won elections in the northern part of the state for more than two decades as the area increasingly trended toward Republicans. But he finished third in the June gubernatorial primary with just over 31% of the vote.
Dan Kleban at Maine Beer Company in September 2025. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
DAN KLEBAN
Kleban, 49, is the co-founder of the Maine Beer Co. in Freeport.
The Cumberland resident launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination for Senate in September, but he ended his bid and endorsed Mills after she entered the race the following month.
Kleban has no political experience. His campaign was centered on his struggles and successes as a business owner; his philosophy included providing livable wages and benefits to his employees, and supporting environmental causes.
His short-lived campaign focused on affordability issues.
Kleban has fielded numerous calls to jump back into the Senate race and is “seriously considering” a bid, a person who is familiar with his plans said.
Paige Loud answers a question during a CD-2 Democratic primary debate in May. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
PAIGE LOUD
The former 2nd District candidate moved Tuesday to officially join those who are vying to potentially replace Platner, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission as a Democratic candidate for Senate.
A 29-year-old social worker with no previous political experience, Loud finished a distant fourth in the Democratic primary race for the U.S. House seat.
Matt Dunlap, the former secretary from Old Town, won that race and is set to face off against Paul LePage, the former Republican Maine governor, to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
Gov. Janet Mills at a campaign stop at Bombay Bistro in Westbrook in April. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
JANET MILLS
Mills, 78, was the preferred candidate of Washington, D.C., Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to take on Collins in the fall.
Mills is finishing her second term as governor after having won two statewide elections. She’s also served as the state’s attorney general, as well as a district attorney and state lawmaker. And she made national headlines when she quarreled with Trump after he called her out on the state’s policies on transgender athletes at the White House last year.
Mills tried to make her case for the Democratic nomination for Senate, but she failed to gain much traction. Democratic voters seemed to appreciate her work as governor but were hungry for an generational change. She suspended her campaign in April.
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A New York Times-Portland Press Herald-Siena poll from earlier this month also found Mills had a negative favorability rating.
Mills did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (Daryn Slover/ Staff Photographer)
NIRAV SHAH
Shah, 48, is an attorney, economist, physician and public health official.
As director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shah became the face of the Mills administration during the coronavirus pandemic, providing daily updates on case counts and offering public health advice.
The Brunswick resident won a devoted public following for his humor and communication style. He went on to serve as principal deputy director of the U.S. CDC under President Joe Biden.
Shah ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic primary for governor. Despite winning the most first-round votes, Shah came in second in the ranked-choice runoff, behind Hannah Pingree, now the party’s nominee.
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Shah’s candidacy was frustrated by an alliance by three of his more progressive rivals — Jackson, Bellows and Pingree — all of whom were endorsed by Platner.
Shah, who held dozens of town hall events, said in a written statement Tuesday that he’s received “hundreds of encouraging messages” and is talking to his family and team about whether he should enter the race. He called for an open and transparent process, including at least one televised debate, before the party selects a candidate.
Jordan Wood answers a question during a CD-2 Democratic primary debate hosted by Maine Public and the Portland Press Herald in Lewiston in May. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
JORDAN WOOD
Wood, 36, is a former congressional staffer. He initially ran for the Democratic nomination for Senate, then withdrew after Mills entered the race and Golden announced he was not seeking reelection.
The Auburn resident then set his sights on the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District, coming in third place.
Wood ran on ending political corruption and in support of Medicare for All and universal childcare. He held a series of town hall events, though they didn’t generate as much interest as those held by Platner.
Wood said he’s interested in being the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate.
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“To beat Susan Collins, Mainers deserve a candidate who will provide a true contrast, and run on a progressive platform,” he said in a written statement. “If my fellow Maine Democrats decide through an open and democratic process that I am the best candidate to defeat Susan Collins, I would be humbled by their trust.”
Staff Writer Billy Kobin contributed to this story.
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Tagged: election 2026, Graham Platner, Janet Mills, jared golden, Jordan Wood, Nirav Shah, senate 2026, Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined. More by Randy Billings
