Who Could Replace Graham Platner in Maine Race? Nine Possible Contenders
Democratic candidate Graham Platner has not ruled out withdrawing from the MaineSenate race after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021, a claim he denied to Newsweek.
The new allegation was reported by Politico, which interviewed Maine resident Jenny Racicot. Racicot alleged that Platner entered her home while intoxicated in late 2021 and forced her to have sex despite her repeated objections. She told the outlet that she had previously been involved in an on-and-off relationship with Platner and that the encounter was not consensual.
Platner rejected the allegation in a video statement posted to X, calling it “troubling, serious, and false” and saying that “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false.”
However, he acknowledged the "political reality" of the situation as Democrats hope to flip Maine's Senate race.
"Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins," he said in a video posted to X.
The controversy comes as Democrats hope to topple longtime GOP Senator Susan Collins in Maine, a state that President Donald Trump lost by 7 points in the 2024 election. Collins has been popular in the state for decades, but Democrats believe her own declining favorability, as well as Trump's nationwide approval slipping, could put the seat in play. Platner's scandals would complicate the path to flipping that seat. Losing Maine would also make it more difficult for Democrats to flip the Senate from Republicans.
Ronald Schmidt, professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, told Newsweek that beating Collins was always going to be a hard task for Democrats, and these allegations don't make it easier. But Collins is not "untouchable," and Democrats will still have a shot at winning.
"The best tool a Democratic candidate would have is an energized Democratic and Democratic leaning electorate come November. That is still very much doable," he said.
Newsweek reached out to the Platner campaign via email on Monday afternoon for comment on the Politico report.
How Graham Platner Can Still Be Replaced
Maine election law provides a mechanism for replacing a general-election nominee after the primary. Under Title 21-A, §374-A, a political party may name a new candidate if its nominee withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13. This means that despite his primary win, Democrats can still have a different nominee in November.
If that happens, the party then has until 5 p.m. on July 27 to select a replacement nominee. The process is handled internally by the party.
This would, however, require Platner to willingly give up the nomination. While he has said he is reflecting on the path forward, he has not said either way whether he plans to stay in the race.
Who Could Maine Democrats Pick to Replace Platner?
Replacing Platner would be Democrats' "best chance" of flipping the seat, Dan Shea, professor of political science at Colby College, told Newsweek.
"I think another candidate would likely have a better chance to beat Senator Collins than Platner, even without this new scandal. There are too many moderates that are not crazy about Susan, but also can’t stomach Platner. To be honest, my guess is that the Collins team would love to see Platner stay in the race," he said.
Democrats have a large bench in Maine of potential candidates who could replace him as the nominee if they are interested in doing so. Here is a look at nine potential contenders.
Troy Jackson
Jackson has been floated as a potential replacement who could appease the progressive base that initially backed Platner. Jackson is the former Maine Senate president and won the governor’s race, ultimately losing the primary to Hannah Pingree. He supported Platner on the campaign trail and received the endorsement of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
However, it's not clear that he would be interested in running for Senate. Jackson, like several other Maine Democrats, opted to run in the governor’s race this year.
Shea named Jackson as a potential replacement.
"Jackson would have a lot of momentum. He did very well in the last few weeks of the primary race," he said.
A Westwood poll found that Jackson would be in a stronger position than Platner to take on Collins.
It gave Jackson a 5-point lead with 48 percent to Collins' 43 percent. Platner was down 4 points with 46 percent to Collins' 50 percent, while Governor Janet Mills and Collins were tied at 47 percent.
Nirav Shah
Shea also pointed to Shah, who placed second in the gubernatorial primary, as a possible replacement for Platner. He served as the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, being appointed to the role by Governor Janet Mills. He is seen as more moderate than Platner but is well known throughout the state and placed ahead of Jackson in the primary.
Shenna Bellows
Bellows is another gubernatorial candidate who could be viewed as a possible replacement. She currently serves as Maine's secretary of state and has made national headlines for attempts to remove President Donald Trump from the ballot in the 2024 presidential race.
However, Bellows has already run against Collins and lost in a landslide. In 2014, Collins defeated Bellows by 37 points, a major win for the Republican in a state that was still viewed as fairly Democratic-leaning at the time.
Jared Golden
Golden could be floated as a potential candidate, though it's unclear that he would be interested in running for Senate.
He represents Maine's Second District, a vast, rural district comprised of the northern part of the state. It's the more conservative of the state's two districts, having backed Trump by about 9 points in the 2024 election. Despite that, Golden managed to win on the same ticket. His ability to win in a conservative part of the state has fueled speculation about whether he could someday seek higher office.
However, he's already retiring from the House of Representatives and has not signaled any interest in jumping into the Senate race.
Sara Gideon
Democrats could also turn to their 2020 nominee against Collins, Sara Gideon, who gave Collins a close race despite falling short.
Collins ended up winning reelection with about 51 percent, compared to Gideon's 42 percent.
Progressive independent Lisa Savage received 5 percent of the vote, while a more conservative independent, Max Linn, received less than 2 percent. Democrats believe the race may have been closer had ranked-choice voting been in place, but that proved irrelevant, as Collins won an outright majority.
As of April 2026, Gideon still had nearly $2.7 million in the bank, according to an FEC filing, meaning she already has funds to launch a last-minute campaign. But it's less clear if Democrats would be interested in picking a candidate who already lost to Collins.
Janet Mills
Democrats could also pick Mills, the incumbent governor, as their pick to replace Platner.
She's well known in Maine and initially had the party establishment's backing, but her selection could be risky.
Throughout the campaign, she polled worse against Collins than Platner, and she is not particularly popular in Maine.
A poll from The New York Times, Portland Press Herald and Siena found that 45 percent of Mainers view her favorably, compared to 53 percent who viewed her unfavorably. It polled 608 likely voters from June 19 to 26.
She suspended her Senate campaign in April, citing financial difficulties, setting Platner up as the likely nominee at the time.
"While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else – the fight – to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources. That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate," she wrote in a statement at the time.
Mark Brewer, a professor of political science at the University of Maine in Orono, told Newsweek Mills could be an option.
"I’m not so sure that she will accept. If she declines, the party might look to Nirav Shah, Troy Jackson, or maybe a Shenna Bellows rematch. I’m sure they would also reach out to Jared Golden, but I can’t imagine he would say yes," he said.
David Costello, Jordan Wood or Dan Kleban
Democrats could even turn to the lesser-known candidates who ran in the Senate race.
Wood, who served as former Representative Katie Porter's chief of staff, and Kleban, founder of the Maine Beer Company, both left the race after Mills announced. Costello stayed in the race through the end but received only about 8 percent in the primary. He also ran for Senate in 2022, but most Democrats backed Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Platner Responds to Jenny Racicot’s Allegations
According to Politico, Racicot said she did not previously speak publicly or to the police about the alleged assault because she did not want to be known as a rape victim.
She decided to come forward because she wanted voters to have what she described as a fuller understanding of Platner’s character. Politico reported reviewing emails between Racicot and her therapist, as well as messages she exchanged with others in the years following the alleged incident.
Platner responded to the allegations in a statement provided to Newsweek.
"These allegations are troubling, serious, and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue," he said.
His campaign said the allegations are "very serious" and noted that Platner "vigorously denies them."
"They are also coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives. For a year, opponents of this campaign have thrown everything they can at Graham –– calling him a Nazi, a war criminal, and a communist. None of it has been true and this is no different. It is not a coincidence that this story comes a week before the ballot deadline, just as the previous false allegations came a week before the primary," the statement reads.
Platner lost support from Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, after the report.
How Allegations Will Affect Senate Race
Shea told Newsweek that the allegations are going to be a big deal if Platner stays in the race.
“There seems to be clear documentation with multiple people. Unless counterfactual information arises, my guess is that this revelation will sink his campaign. He may not drop out, but I think the pressure, from both Mainers and from others across the country, will be huge. I think his 15 minutes of fame are about over,” he said.
Democrats' chances of flipping the Maine Senate seat improved after the Politico report on Kalshi. As of 5:30 p.m. ET, Democrats had a 62 percent chance of flipping the seat, up from a 50.5 percent chance one day earlier. Traders may be reacting to the possibility of Platner's replacement.
On Polymarket, Democrats had a 63 percent chance of flipping the seat.
Brewer said the scandal may be "too much to overcome."
"Collins was always going to be tough to beat, even in a cycle that is looking rough for Republicans. But Platner’s scandals make beating Collins even more difficult, regardless of who the Democratic candidate is," he said.
Bellows and Jackson both came out of the primary in a strong position, Schmidt said, pointing to their coalition with Pingree to coalesce more progressive support against more moderate candidates like Shah or Angus King, III. He said he wouldn't be surprised if the party was looking at those two as possible candidates.
Graham Platner Scandals Explained
Platner has faced numerous scandals on the campaign trail, long fueling concerns among Democrats about his candidacy.
Platner drew scrutiny after The New York Times made allegations about his behavior in past romantic relationships.
One former girlfriend of Platner’s, Lyndsey Fifield, a conservative who has worked for Republican campaigns, alleged that Platner had engaged in physically threatening behavior during their relationship over a decade ago. She alleged that Platner twisted her arm behind her back during an argument, shoved her into a bedroom and blocked her from exiting.
Fifield told the outlet that Platner “never hit me, he never punched me.” The Times said it could not independently corroborate the incidents alleged by Fifield.
Platner has strongly denied those accusations, saying allegations involving physicality are “simply not true” and describing them as politically motivated.
The Times interviewed six of his former girlfriends, three of whom said they support his candidacy.
Days earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, reportedly informed Platner campaign aides during an internal vetting exercise in August that he had sent sexually explicit text messages to several women. The disclosure was intended to ensure the information did not catch the campaign off guard.
Platner has dismissed the reports as “gossip” and has acknowledged strains in his marriage, though he framed them as resolved.
“Amy and I went through something hard-because of me. We did the work, and I'm grateful for her every hour of every day,” he said in a written statement released Sunday.
Platner earlier faced controversy over the revelation that he had a tattoo resembling the Totenkopf, or “death's head,” a symbol adopted by the Nazi SS. He has apologized and previously told Newsweek: “I absolutely would not have gone through life having this on my chest if I knew that-and to insinuate that I did is disgusting. I am already planning to get this removed.”
He has also faced scrutiny over Reddit posts, including one response to somebody saying that rural white people “aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks.” Platner replied: “Living in white rural America, I'm afraid to tell you they actually are.”
He told Politico last year: “I made dumb jokes and picked fights. But of course I'm not a socialist. I'm a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran and a retired s*** poster.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 6:27 PM.