Maine Democrats Are Already Fighting Over Who Replaces Platner. He Still Has Not Withdrawn.

Since Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand pulled funding Monday at 7:01 p.m. and Sanders added his voice Tuesday, Graham Platner has said nothing definitive about whether he will leave the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

The silence is now costing Maine Democrats more than just one candidate.

A Second Allegation, and Platner Still Has Not Budged

On Tuesday evening, the Washington Post reported that a second former girlfriend accused Platner of removing condoms during sex without her consent. That allegation piled on top of the Politico report from Monday, in which Jenny Racicot, 41, told the outlet that Platner entered her home drunk in 2021 and forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, then cut off contact with him afterward.

Platner has denied all of it. He called the Politico reporting inaccurate and denied any accusations of nonconsensual behavior. He released a video Monday saying he was taking time to reflect on the "political reality" of his situation, which, according to the Bangor Daily News, left the door open to withdrawing without actually committing to it.

He previously told concerned senators last month that no credible sexual assault allegation loomed over his race. That assurance did not hold.

The Clock Is Real

If Platner withdraws by 5 p.m. ET on July 13, Maine Democrats have until July 27 to name a replacement. If he misses that window, the ballot slot cannot be filled, according to the Bangor Daily News. The state will not hold a new primary. The party gets to choose the replacement on its own, through whatever process it decides.

Ryan Fecteau, Speaker of the Maine House, told ABC News on Tuesday, "My hope is that the process is transparent and fair." That framing suggests transparency is not yet guaranteed.

Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson posted a video Tuesday night saying the party is developing an "open, inclusive, transparent and fair" process but will not disclose the details until Platner actually withdraws. She was blunt about one thing: Platner's team has repeatedly tried to "put their thumb on the scale" of whoever comes next. "We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner's team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like," she said, according to WRAL.

The Progressive-Establishment Split Is Already Ugly

Platner won the June 9 primary as a populist insurgent, beating establishment-backed Gov. Janet Mills by a wide margin. Now that populist coalition is trying to protect its gains, and the establishment sees an opening.

Joseph Geevarghese, who leads Our Revolution, the organization Sanders founded, was direct: "To the Democratic establishment: This is not your opening." Our Revolution had backed Platner, withdrew that endorsement after the assault allegation, and announced Tuesday it is "rallying behind" former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who confirmed he is "exploring" a candidacy, according to WRAL.

Jackson, a logger and former gubernatorial primary candidate, served as Maine Senate president from 2018 to 2024. A source confirmed to ABC News that he has been receiving heavy outreach and is interested, and that his positioning as a progressive makes him a logical torchbearer for Platner's voter base.

On the other end of the field, David Costello, who placed third in the June primary, posted on Facebook Tuesday that he is "back in, if Graham Platner withdraws," according to ABC News. Former House Speaker Sara Gideon, the 2020 Senate nominee who still has campaign funds on hand, has also been mentioned. Gov. Mills, according to ABC News, is largely not being floated as a viable option.

The mechanics of the replacement process are unsettled. A source familiar with Maine politics told ABC News the state committee would vote on a replacement; another source said the party could convene delegates in a process resembling an old-style convention, either in person or virtually, with majority vote or ranked-choice voting still undecided.

The Fair Concern Worth Naming

Some of Platner's progressive supporters argue the party is using a still-unproven allegation to reverse a primary result they never wanted. That concern deserves a straight answer: these are serious allegations, Platner has denied them, and no criminal charges have been filed. The party leadership's timeline, moving within four hours of the Politico report, does raise a legitimate question about whether institutional Democrats moved fast because of genuine moral conviction or because they saw a politically convenient exit from a candidate they had struggled to embrace. The Daily Signal's coverage makes that timing argument explicitly.

But the facts on the record are what they are. Platner had already accumulated a documented trail of controversies, reported by the New York Times last month, including allegations of domestic abuse, kidnapping, and deception about a tattoo. The sexual assault allegation was qualitatively different, and the party's response reflected that, whatever the motivation.

What Happens Next

The concrete question, as of July 7, is whether Platner withdraws before the July 13 deadline. Democratic strategist David Farmer told the Bangor Daily News that any replacement candidate would essentially need to "stand up a Senate campaign in days," a logistical challenge comparable to Biden's 2024 exit. The Senate super PAC has already announced it is redirecting resources away from Maine. The DSCC is not investing. The seat, which Democrats consider winnable, goes dark if Platner stays on the ballot.

Murphy-Anderson has said the party's replacement process will not be detailed publicly until Platner actually moves. That means the succession plan, and the intraparty fight over it, remain contingent on a decision only one person can make.