Maine Democrats are rushing to come up with a plan to quickly replace Graham Platner, their embattled Senate nominee, if he ends his campaign in the wake of a rape allegation that has left him hemorrhaging support from longtime allies.
Platner has denied the allegation, made by a woman he previously dated, and has not said whether he plans to leave the race. After CNN and Politico reported the assault allegation Monday, Platner said he would “reflect on the best path forward” for his Senate bid.
On Tuesday, Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, sent an e-mail to committee members indicating the party was meeting with its attorneys to determine next steps for a potential nominee replacement process.
“The Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our US Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent, and fair,” Murphy-Anderson said in a video released Tuesday night. “The integrity of this process is just as important as the outcome, and we are committed to ensuring that Democrats across our state can have confidence in both.”
Murphy-Anderson also accused Platner’s team of attempting to “put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” noting his team has repeatedly reached out to the party committee.
