{"id":2627006,"date":"2026-07-08T21:58:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T01:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-democrats-to-hold-nominating-convention-after-platner-exit\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T22:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T02:00:21","slug":"maine-democrats-to-hold-nominating-convention-after-platner-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-democrats-to-hold-nominating-convention-after-platner-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"Maine Democrats to hold nominating convention after Platner exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/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%2Fmaine-democrats-to-hold-nominating-convention-after-platner-exit%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=2627006&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>The Maine Democratic Party announced plans to hold a nominating convention to select a new Senate candidate after Graham Platner withdrew from the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >race amid sexual assault allegations<\/a>. Platner&#8217;s departure, just days before the deadline to replace his name on the ballot, prompted over 100 party members to vote in favor of a convention to choose his replacement. The convention could be historic in scale, involving approximately 600 delegates selected across Maine&#8217;s counties. Potential candidates include Troy Jackson,Shenna Bellows,Nirav Shah,Valli Geiger,and Dan Kleban.Platner emphasized the need for an open and obvious process, despite facing controversy and accusations he denied. President Donald Trump commented on the situation, suggesting skepticism about the allegations and predicting Platner might still lose the election. The process reflects the party&#8217;s efforts to navigate the controversy and find a suitable replacement amid the circumstances.  <\/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\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\" type=\"link\" id=\"washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\">Maine<\/a> Democratic Party announced on Wednesday plans to hold a nominating convention to select its candidate for U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\" type=\"link\" id=\"washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\">Senate<\/a> as former nominee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner<\/a>\u2019s decision to exit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/speaker-vote-house-starts-at-square-one-three-weeks-after-mccarthy-removal\/\" title=\"House starts fresh three weeks after McCarthy&#039;s removal. Speaker ... underway.\">race threatens<\/a> to derail efforts to flip the seat blue. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platner ended his Senate campaign to oust Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Wednesday evening, just days before Democrats\u2019 Monday deadline to replace his name on the ballot in the general election to challenge the incumbent Republican lawmaker. Platner\u2019s move came after his campaign bled support due partly to allegations he raped an ex-girlfriend, claims that he denied, saying his exit was \u201cbecause of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.\u201d<\/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\/4641710\/maine-democrats-nominating-convention-platner\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Maine Democrats vote to hold nominating convention after Platner exits Senate race<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4638358\/graham-platner-suspends-maine-senate-campaign\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Graham Platner suspends Senate campaign after sexual assault allegations<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4641563\/democrats-kamala-harris-platner-maine\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats shy away from a Kamala Harris-style \u2018coronation\u2019 in Maine<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly before Platner made his announcement public, over 100 members of the Maine Democratic Party<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MaineDems\/status\/2074999584871293020\"> voted to hold <\/a>a nominating convention to select a replacement for Platner, saying it would provide more information on the convention in the coming days. Maine law stipulates that the party has until 5 p.m. on July 27 to name Platner\u2019s successor.<\/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\">The convention is not an unexpected strategy, but the scale of it could break records. It would include roughly 600 people who would be selected by county-level Democratic committees,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2026\/07\/08\/congress\/maine-dems-convention-platner-replacement-00991253\"> according to<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em>. That could be a historic convention, marking the first time Maine Democrats have used a convention of this scale to replace a statewide nominee. Every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mich-ariz-gop-censures-several-lawmakers-over-support-for-impeachment-failure-to-keep-states-red\/\" title=\"Mich., Ariz. GOP censures several lawmakers over support for impeachment, failure to keep states red\">county committee<\/a> would have to meet before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-races-to-watch-in-new-york-colorado-utah-and-south-carolina-primaries-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Top races to watch in New York, Colorado, Utah, and South Carolina primaries - Washington Examiner\">state nominating convention<\/a> to elect 500 of those delegates, and the 100 current state committee members will also serve as delegates. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multiple Democrats have already thrown their names in the mix as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/campaign-2024-an-early-look-at-the-possible-republican-contenders\/\" title=\"Campaign 2024: An Early Look At The Possible Republican Contenders\">potential candidates<\/a> to replace Platner. They include former gubernatorial candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ProgressiveVic\/status\/2074320341929726172?s=20\">Troy Jackson<\/a>, who performed best in a list of potential replacements, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/08\/graham-platner-polls-replacements-senate-00990664\">according to<\/a> polling Platner\u2019s campaign conducted Tuesday. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Nirav Shah, a public health official and the runner-up for governor, and Maine state Rep. Valli Geiger are among others eying a bid. Dan Kleban, the founder of Maine Beer Company who ran for the seat in the Democratic Senate primary earlier this year, said on Wednesday he will try again for the nomination. Geiger <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4641497\/maine-valli-geiger-graham-platner-senate\/\">said<\/a> Wednesday that Platner supported herself, Jackson, and Bellows as candidates to succeed him as the party\u2019s standard-bearer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/2075009677495058687?s=46\">lengthy video<\/a> announcing his campaign exit, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be \u201copen, transparent, and democratic.\u201d<\/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\">\u201cThis is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it\u2019s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump weighed in on the debacle Wednesday evening, telling reporters on Air Force One that Platner is \u201cin a bind.\u201d The president suggested people should not be too hasty to believe the women who accused Platner of inappropriately aggressive behavior and rape, warning that \u201ca lot of people say big falsehoods.\u201d<\/p>\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<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\">\u201cIt\u2019s very hard for them to do,\u201d Trump said when pressed on whether Democrats should be able to pick a replacement. \u201cIt\u2019s a question of whether or not you believe the woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of people say big falsehoods,\u201d the president said. \u201cHe\u2019s in a bind, he\u2019s in a bind, but should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he\u2019s gonna lose. I would imagine he\u2019s gonna lose.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\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<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maine Dems to hold convention after Platner drops out<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2627007,"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\/AP26161070340162_9d7647.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[38076,51216,45119,82456,82457],"class_list":["post-2627006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democratic-convention","tag-maine-elections","tag-maine-politics","tag-platner-exit","tag-political-nominations"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26161070340162_9d7647.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627006","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\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2627006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2627010,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627006\/revisions\/2627010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2627007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2627006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2627006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2627006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}