Democrats race to replace Graham Platner in consequential Senate race

Democrats in Maine are racing to find a new candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in what is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races this November.

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Graham Platner, who won the party’s nomination last month, announced he would suspend his campaign in a social media video this week after facing numerous allegations of sexual assault from ex-girlfriends. His withdrawal sends Democrats into a scramble to find a new candidate before the July 27 deadline — and it increased pressure for the party to thoroughly vet their new nominee in an expedited timeline to avoid a similar fate as Platner.

At least seven candidates have announced they are running for the nomination, with others likely to jump into the fray. The party will select its new candidate through a nominating convention, although details on when that will take place or how it will work are not yet clear.

These are the candidates who have announced their Senate bid so far.

Troy Jackson

Former state Sen. Troy Jackson announced on Wednesday he would run for the seat, the same day that Platner announced he would end his campaign.

Jackson most recently ran for governor in the 2026 primaries but was defeated after coming in third on first preferences through Maine’s ranked choice voting system. He had previously endorsed and campaigned with Platner, although he rescinded his support and called on Platner to step down after the sexual allegations were reported.

Jackson has the support of more than 50 local elected officials who have endorsed his Senate run. His gubernatorial campaign caught the attention of national progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna.

Jackson is a progressive who previously served as the Maine state Senate president from 2018 to 2024, winning reelection in a district that was won by both Collins and President Donald Trump. He is a fifth-generation logger from rural Aroostook County in northern Maine.

Dan Kleban

Dan Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Company, was among the first to announce he would run for the seat hours before Platner dropped out — and he made his bid official that same night.

Kleban previously ran in the Democratic primary last year, although he ultimately withdrew his name and endorsed Gov. Janet Mills instead. Mills later suspended her campaign.

“I’m glad that Graham Platner has ended his campaign. For too long, this race has not been about Susan Collins’ repeated failures to do what’s right for Maine. We need to get back to that,” Kleban said in a statement Wednesday night. “Mainers deserve a senator who will fight for them against the DC establishment while also doing what’s right. I plan to be that senator.”

Kleban has sought to frame himself as the best candidate to continue Platner’s movement that motivated progressive Democrats, although he said he would not accept Platner’s endorsement if he offered it.

Kleban is among the Democratic candidates across the country pushing the party for a change in leadership, noting he would not vote for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to continue as the party’s leader.

Shenna Bellows

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced on Thursday that she would enter the race, pointing to her tenure as a former state senator and her current position in the state government as crucial experience.

During her time as secretary of state, Bellows garnered national attention after she ruled in December 2023 that Trump should be disqualified from the primary ballot in Maine because of his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. That decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court, but only after Bellows was publicly criticized and doxed.

Bellows most recently ran in the 2026 governor’s race, although she came in fourth in the ranked-choice primary.

She previously ran against Collins for the Maine Senate seat in 2014, losing by roughly 37 percentage points.

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Jordan Wood

Jordan Wood, who briefly ran in the Democratic Senate primary against Platner before dropping out to run for the U.S. House, said he would reenter the race.

“This has been a tough week for all of us in Maine who have demanded real change in Washington and in our lives,” Wood said in a statement on Thursday. “Our campaign will continue to build on the powerful populist movement Graham started, and I welcome every Mainer who believed in his vision to continue to build that better world.”

After suspending his last Senate bid, Wood ran in the Democratic primary to replace Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, finishing in third place.

Wood has pointed to his career as a former congressional aide, serving in positions such as chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter in California, as well as his experience as a co-founder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to opposing efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Paige Loud

Paige Loud, a 29-year-old social worker, was the first to officially file for Maine’s Senate race with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday — one day before Platner announced his suspension.

Loud also ran in the Democratic primary to replace Golden, but she came in last in the four-way Democratic primary. Her campaign website has since been updated to say “Loud for Senate.”

According to her website, Loud is advocating for what she calls a “progressive vision for the future.” She lists issues such as universal healthcare, guaranteed housing, free higher education, food security, raising the federal minimum wage, and more.

David Costello

David Costello, who ran against Platner in the June primary and won only 8% of the vote, said he would run again for the Democratic nomination.

Costello is an environmental policy consultant and has a long career working in public service. He has served in an array of positions including two presidential campaigns as well as Maine campaigns for the Senate, House and governors’ races in the 1980s. After that, he worked for the United States Agency for International Development responding to global crises.

He worked as a senior aide to the Maryland governor from 2007 to 2011 before becoming a top official in Maryland’s Department of the Environment.

Costello previously challenged Sen. Angus King in his Senate primary in 2024.

Nirav Shah

Nirav Shah also ran for governor in this year’s Democratic primary, but he came in second in the ranked choice voting system.

Shah is the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and is best known for leading the state response of the COVID-19 pandemic. He served in that position from 2019 to 2023.

He then moved to serve as the principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under then-President Joe Biden.

Shah announced on Thursday he would throw his hat in the ring for the Senate race, vowing to hold town hall events across the state to meet voters.

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