The Race to Replace Graham Platner Is Heating Up

Democratic Field Forms to Replace Graham Platner in Maine Senate Race

With Graham Platner withdrawing from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Maine after allegations of sexual assault by a former partner, party officials have begun organizing a replacement process. The Maine Democratic Party has scheduled a nominating convention involving 500 delegates selected proportionally from county committees and the existing 100-member state committee. These 600 delegates will select the nominee to face Republican incumbent Susan Collins in the November general election. The deadline for official nomination is July 27, though the convention date remains unset. Platner has until 5 p.m. on July 14 to formally remove his name from the ballot.

Seven candidates have declared interest in the nomination. Eligibility requires collection of 500 signatures. The candidates have described their records and policy views in public statements and interviews.

Troy Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate and fifth-generation logger from Allagash, finished third in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary. He received an endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders in that contest. Jackson served in the Maine Senate from 2008 to 2014 and from 2016 to 2024. He has stated support for Medicare for All, described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, and indicated he would oppose taxpayer-funded aid to Israel. He has received endorsements from Representative Ro Khanna and the Maine AFL-CIO.

Nirav Shah, who placed first in the gubernatorial primary vote totals but lost under ranked-choice voting to Hannah Pingree, previously directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023 and served as principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2023 to 2025. He also directed the Illinois Department of Public Health. During his Illinois tenure, an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease resulted in 13 deaths. Senator Tammy Duckworth posted on X that she strongly opposes his Senate candidacy due to that outbreak. Shah has expressed support for Medicare for All, stated that ICE in its current form cannot continue, and described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. A poll released on July 10 showed Shah leading Collins by one point.

Shenna Bellows, Maine secretary of state and fourth-place finisher in the gubernatorial primary, previously ran against Collins in 2014 and received 32 percent of the vote. She served as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine from 2005 to 2013. Bellows has proposed a Maine Housing Corps to expand housing supply and has stated support for working toward universal single-payer health care. In an X post announcing her Senate candidacy, she expressed support for Medicare for All.

Jordan Wood, who received just under 29 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for Maine’s second congressional district, previously served as chief of staff to Representative Katie Porter and as vice president of End Citizens United. Wood has stated support for Medicare for All, described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide with the condition that any U.S. aid must include restrictions, and advocated for universal childcare. He has called for new Senate leadership and elimination of the filibuster, noting that other candidates have not yet detailed positions on national procedural questions.

Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company in Freeport, briefly entered the Senate race in late 2025 before withdrawing to support Governor Janet Mills. In a Substack post on July 9, Kleban described himself as a political outsider and stated that voters are tired of a system rigged by corporate interests and interference from Washington and New York consultants, without listing specific policy proposals.

Paige Loud, a social worker who received 10 percent of the vote in the second-district House primary, has stated support for Medicare for All, raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation, eliminating the Social Security earnings cap, ending what she termed genocide in Gaza, and blocking all U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.

David Costello, who received 8 percent of the vote in the Democratic Senate primary won by Platner, has listed policy priorities including Medicare for All, universal childcare, elimination of the payroll tax cap, judicial and legislative term limits, and a ban on gerrymandering. He has also called for an end to presidential wars of choice and accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other human rights violations. Costello previously worked as an aide to Maine’s secretary of state, the mayor of Baltimore, and the governor of Maryland.

Colorado’s Eighth District Race Features Contrasting Backgrounds

Manny Rutinel’s victory in Colorado’s Democratic primary for the Eighth Congressional District has set up a general-election contest against Republican Gabe Evans. Rutinel, a 31-year-old member of the Colorado House of Representatives, defeated Shannon Bird. The district, drawn in 2021 by an independent redistricting commission, covers northern Denver suburbs and rural areas and is the state’s only competitive congressional seat. Voters elected a Democrat by fewer than 1,600 votes in 2022 and Evans by fewer than 2,500 votes in 2024.

Rutinel previously gave an interview while at Yale Law School describing animal agriculture as a horrific, exploitive industry and told a Connecticut legislative committee that the globe must dramatically shift away from animal products. Since entering the congressional race, Rutinel has stated that he is no longer a vegan and that it is important to enjoy products made by Colorado ranchers. He has also ceased calls for Medicare for All and a ban on fracking. The National Republican Campaign Committee posted a photograph of Rutinel as a college student holding a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sign, describing him as a far-left vegan activist who wants to end animal agriculture.

Evans owns a small cattle herd and has described himself as a beef producer. The district includes facilities operated by JBS, the world’s largest meat-processing company. University of Denver political science professor Seth Masket stated that the district tends to follow the national political environment of a given year and that dissatisfaction with the Trump administration could influence the outcome. Metropolitan State University of Denver political science department chair Robert Preuhs noted that the result will depend in part on actions taken by the Trump administration before November and the extent to which Evans aligns with those actions.

Rutinel has established himself as the Democratic nominee in the district.