For Democrats replacing Platner, the how will be as big as the who
Normally, we’d already be finished talking about Graham Platner.
The Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine would have dropped out within a day of being credibly accused of rape and losing establishment and progressive support across the board.
Former backers called the accusations against him “troubling,” “deeply serious” and “damning” as they raced to withdraw their endorsements. (He has denied the allegations.)
The two days since the most serious allegations broke have been filled with nasty exchanges between state party leaders and Platner, as well as speculation about when he’ll step aside and who will take his place on the ticket.
Regardless of who that is, how the Maine Democratic Party replaces him seems likely to be just as important to winning the race for a party clinging to hope of flipping the Senate.
The Maine Democratic Party can be forgiven for not having a plan ready to go. While there is a law that designates timing for replacing a statewide candidate, party leaders have indicated there was no established internal process for it.
But it’s possible whatever process they settle on to choose the next candidate will become a proxy fight for the questions around establishment politics and transparency.
That a spotlight has fallen on Maine is no surprise. This Senate race is critical, if not potentially definitive, when it comes to whether Democrats have a realistic chance at retaking the Senate from Republicans in the fall.
The Republican incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins, has won this seat repeatedly since her first victory in 1996. Democrats’ effort to defeat her in 2020 amounted to an electoral embarrassment for the party at large, given the presidential headwinds and amount of time and attention trained on seeing Collins lose.
The thing is, making this about trying to prevent the establishment from just deciding who the next candidate is doubles as an example of what candidates like Platner were and are running against and is already part of the overall midterm conversation. That’s thanks in no small part to the unsuccessful late-stage swap of former Vice President Kamala Harris for former President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
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Shawna Thomas is the MS NOW political director. Previously, she was the executive producer of “CBS Mornings,” managed VICE News’ Washington bureau and was the senior producer of “Meet the Press.”
