{"id":2626967,"date":"2026-07-08T19:58:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T23:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-shy-away-from-kamala-style-coronation-in-maine\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T20:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T00:00:52","slug":"democrats-shy-away-from-kamala-style-coronation-in-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-shy-away-from-kamala-style-coronation-in-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats shy away from Kamala-style \u2018coronation\u2019 in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-shy-away-from-kamala-style-coronation-in-maine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2626967&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Democrats are urgently working to replace Graham Platner,their Maine Senate nominee,who is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >withdraw amid scandals adn support loss<\/a>. Platner\u2019s departure would allow party leaders to select a new candidate to contest against Republican Senator Susan Collins. The process faces internal disputes,with Platner\u2019s allies resisting resignation unless they participate in choosing his successor,leading to accusations of bias and conspiracy. The party aims for an open, obvious selection, possibly thru a convention, amid concerns about reintroducing a nominee with political baggage. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/x-sues-ny-for-demanding-social-media-data-to-censor-speech\/\" title=\"X Sues NY For Demanding Social Media Data To Censor Speech\">situation draws parallels<\/a> with Kamala Harris\u2019s failed presidential campaign under Biden,highlighting risks of candidate selection processes perceived as undemocratic. Experts warn that internal disagreements and the baggage of potential replacements could harm Democrats\u2019 chances in the upcoming election,as Republican strategists seek to capitalize on existing divides. The incident underscores the broader challenge for Democrats to unify and present a credible candidate amidst controversies and intra-party strife.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats are hoping to avoid a repeat of former Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\">Kamala Harris<\/a>\u2018s shotgun run for president as they grapple with how to replace <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner<\/a>, their nominee in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a>\u2018s marquee Senate race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner\u2019s exit from the race, which could come as soon as Wednesday, would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-defend-biden-calling-republicans-semi-fascist\/\" title=\"... defend ... calling Republicans \u201csemi...fascist\u201d\">give party leaders<\/a> until the end of the month to select a new candidate to face Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a five-term incumbent and the most formidable Republican in Maine politics. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4641497\/maine-valli-geiger-graham-platner-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Maine lawmaker says Platner urged her to run for Senate if he stepped down<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4641359\/who-could-run-replace-graham-platner-shenna-bellows-troy-jackson-nirav-shah\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Who could run to replace Graham Platner?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4640953\/republicans-tie-battleground-democrats-to-graham-platner\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Republicans tie battleground Democrats to Graham Platner<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That selection process amounts to a do-over for Maine Democrats who were never comfortable with Platner, a lightly vetted nominee whose repeated scandals put at risk a must-win state. This week, Platner faced an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4638055\/platner-bombshell-democrats-maine-ballot-deadline\/\">exodus of support<\/a> over rape allegations he denies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Democrats face a titanic challenge coalescing around a new nominee and have a short window to build a campaign from scratch. There\u2019s the infighting over what, exactly, that process looks like as Platner holds out for a progressive successor. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Maine Democratic Party has so far <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MaineDems\/status\/2074653501771194683?s=20\">promised<\/a> a process that is \u201copen, inclusive, transparent, and fair,\u201d although it has so far been tight-lipped on whether that includes debates, a statewide caucus, or some other format. MS NOW <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/wrmcduff\/status\/2074978902900961601?s=20\">reported<\/a> late on Wednesday that officials are considering a full-fledged convention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then comes the challenge of actually reintroducing a nominee to Maine voters with four months until Election Day \u2014 and doing so in a way that insulates that person from Platner\u2019s political baggage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4639117\/progressives-graham-platner-aide-alternative-new-dust-up-schumer-troy-jackson\/\"><strong>PROGRESSIVES RUSH TO FIND PLATNER ALTERNATIVE IN NEW DUST-UP WITH SCHUMER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire episode is reminiscent of Harris\u2019s failed campaign for president, and Democrats don\u2019t have to squint hard to see the parallels. She had roughly 100 days to pick up the mantle from former President Joe Biden and struggled to separate herself from the administration and its policies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking back, the party\u2019s decision to hand-pick her, rather than pursue the sort of \u201cblitz primary\u201d proposed by some Democrats, was also viewed as a strategic mistake that damaged voter trust.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question now is whether Platner\u2019s successor can avoid Harris\u2019s fate in a battleground that may decide whether Democrats retake control of the Senate next year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andrew Bates, a former spokesman for the Biden White House, called the Platner succession battle a \u201cgood analog\u201d to what Democrats went through in 2024, and said he was heartened that the Maine Democratic Party was promising an \u201cinclusive\u201d process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy top recommendation looking back at 2024 would be that there does need to be some kind of competitive process and the ability for everyday people to at least weigh in publicly,\u201d Bates told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of voters did not care for the idea that someone had been chosen for them,\u201d he added, \u201ceven if it was not logistically possible to do more primaries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The outcome was a decisive loss for Harris in half a dozen swing states, some of which Bates attributed to the \u201cbad taste\u201d the ballot switch-up left in voters\u2019 mouths.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recriminations from the presidential race continue to play out two years after Biden dropped out after his poor debate performance against now-President Donald Trump. Earlier this year,\u00a0former first lady Jill Biden embarked on a book tour that reopened those wounds, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4594481\/jill-biden-blasts-former-spokesman-memoir-criticism-say-it-to-my-face\/\">prompting criticism<\/a> from Bates and other Democrats who questioned the wisdom of doing so publicly right before the midterm elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also shaping the Platner saga is a civil war that has the Left fanning doubts that the Maine Democratic Party can be a neutral umpire. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner\u2019s allies were already at odds with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), whose preferred candidate in the primary, Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), failed to gain traction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rhetoric escalated this week as Platner refused to bow out of the race unless he had a role in picking his replacement. The state party accused his team of attempting to \u201cput their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Platner campaign, in turn, accused Maine officials of conspiring with Schumer \u201cbehind closed doors\u201d to cut out the left wing of the party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That bitterness could ultimately increase the odds that an open process develops. Maine Democrats need Platner to drop out before a Monday ballot deadline, and as an olive branch, the state party <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DISivak\/status\/2074927700930617853?s=20\">promised to include<\/a> his allies in the planning on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also calling for a transparent process is a slate of Democrats who ran for other elected offices this year and have expressed interest in replacing Platner. Nirav Shah, a former health official who <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-primary-elections\/maine-governor-results\">placed second<\/a> in the gubernatorial primary last month, has advocated at least one televised debate and warned that a failure to make the handoff as democratic as possible could cost Democrats votes in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s critical, because if the process is anything but, if it is a handing of the torch, then the eventual nominee will not have generated enough trust and buy-in from the base, let alone the broader party, to be able to prosecute the case against Sen. Collins,\u201d he <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bostonglobe.com\/2026\/07\/07\/nation\/graham-platner-susan-collins-maine-senate\/\">told<\/a> the <em>Boston Globe<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of Platner\u2019s biggest pieces of leverage is that he is not alone in pushing for a more progressive nominee. Virtually all of his supporters have called on him to drop out of the Senate race, describing the rape allegations as a \u201cred line,\u201d but share his distrust of the political establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in a bid to keep control of the process, Platner\u2019s team is soliciting feedback from volunteers and other supporters through Friday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the whole, Bates argued that Democrats will come out in a \u201cbetter spot\u201d if Platner withdraws, something the Platner campaign <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/08\/graham-platner-polls-replacements-senate-00990664\">reportedly found<\/a> in flash polling taken after the sexual assault allegations emerged on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former state Sen. Troy Jackson, a progressive favorite, performed better than either Platner or Mills in a survey that polled Maine voters on six different possible candidates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople are rightly going to be disgusted by these allegations, and if he were to go forward, they would be a very serious wound,\u201d Bates said of Platner. \u201cAnother person who does not have that background would have a better chance at winning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the risk of bartering with the Left is Democrats\u2019 eventual nominee may carry some of Platner\u2019s baggage into the general election, and Republicans are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4640953\/republicans-tie-battleground-democrats-to-graham-platner\/\">banking on that being the case<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Harris, Democrats believe it was the anemic economy under Biden and her unwillingness to break in any substantial way from his presidency that contributed to her loss. She is weighing another run in 2028, when Trump is term-limited, but is expected to face a crowded field of Democratic competitors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Maine, the liability is being linked with a man who spent months explaining controversial social media posts and why he had a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese people who promoted this con artist for their own personal and political gain should not be part of the process to repair the damage they have caused,\u201d said Jim Kessler, executive vice president of policy at the center-left Third Way. \u201cAnd that is both for moral reasons and practical reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Maine Democratic Party has attempted to mitigate against that impression by coming out so forcefully against Platner, reiterating Wednesday its allegation that he was trying to \u201cmanipulate\u201d the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Kessler, a former Schumer adviser, argued that Platner\u2019s \u201caccomplices in the political consulting class\u201d should also be barred from the debate. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo one associated with this disaster can win the majority of votes in Maine,\u201d Kessler said. \u201cThe nominee to beat Collins must be someone who can credibly say that they were not a part of this. His endorsement and seal of approval is poison.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bates countered that ignoring Platner\u2019s candidacy altogether is not realistic and would disregard how spectacularly Mills floundered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy first thought is that he\u2019s not in a position to be making demands,\u201d Bates said of Platner. \u201cBut his supporters have every right to make a case to the party that they do act in a way that is mindful of what the electorate was saying in choosing somebody who came from a nontraditional background.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner, although he won the nomination, was an early underdog and campaigned as a political outsider running against the establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4641497\/maine-valli-geiger-graham-platner-senate\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4641497\/maine-valli-geiger-graham-platner-senate\/\">MAINE LAWMAKER SAYS PLATNER URGED HER TO RUN FOR SENATE IF HE STEPPED DOWN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Schumer, Bates defended his recruitment of competitive candidates across the Senate map, but said recruiting Mills, viewed as a more conventional Democrat, turned out to be an \u201cerror.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe was not the kind of person that Mainers are interested in representing them, and sometimes heavy-handedness can backfire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats seek new Maine Senate candidate after Platner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2626968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26105792912406-e1783547821278.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3685,32438,45119,82452],"class_list":["post-2626967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democrats","tag-kamala-harris","tag-maine-politics","tag-political-coronation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26105792912406-e1783547821278.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2626967"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2626971,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626967\/revisions\/2626971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2626968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2626967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2626967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2626967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}