NPR Adds Details on Potential Replacement for Graham Platner
NPR made significant changes to an article about Graham Platner's campaign, adding new information about potential candidates vying to replace him. The article now includes quotes from former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah, who are considering a run. Jackson claims he would be the best alternative to take on Collins, citing his past success in winning two major cities and his alignment with Platner's message. Shah also expressed interest in running, emphasizing his commitment to issues like Medicare for all and reducing poverty. The updated article provides more context on the potential replacement process, giving readers a better understanding of the candidates involved. This change matters to readers because it provides more information about the candidates and the potential direction of the election, allowing them to make more informed decisions.
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The Maine Democratic Party called out Graham Platner's team late Tuesday for pushing to influence the process to replace him, should he withdraw from the race for U.S. Senate.
"Unfortunately, Graham Platner's team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like," Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a video posted to social media. "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."
The Platner campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but in a statement to Politico denied it was trying to exert influence.
Politics Graham Platner faces growing calls to withdraw following allegation of sexual assault Pressure is building for Platner to withdraw from the race, following an allegation of sexual assault reported by Politico on Monday.
In the wake of the report, virtually all Democratic Party figures have called for Platner to exit the race and make way for another candidate to work to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins. That drumbeat continued Tuesday when Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who caucuses with Democrats, said Platner should withdraw. Sanders was one of Platner's earliest and most high-profile supporters.
Platner has until July 13 to drop out in order for the party to select a new nominee.
The state party has said it is working through what that process would look like — but won't make it public until Platner formally steps aside.
The stakes are high for Democrats. The party needs to net a total of four seats to win back the majority in the Senate, and Maine is key to that effort. President Trump lost the state in 2024, and party officials believe Collins could be vulnerable in a year when the GOP is facing political headwinds.
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− Politics Maine Democrats say Platner's campaign is trying to influence replacement process July 8, 20269:20 AM ET By
Barbara Sprunt
Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on June 7, 2026 in Portland, Maine.
+ Politics Maine Democrats say Platner's campaign is trying to influence replacement process Updated July 8, 20266:40 PM ET Originally published July 8, 20269:20 AM ET By
Barbara Sprunt
Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on June 7, 2026 in Portland, Maine.
− If Platner doesn't withdraw by this coming Monday, he'll remain on the ballot come November.
+ Potential candidates are already lining up to replace Platner if he withdraws. The list includes former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for governor this year, but did so with the crucial backing of Sanders. Jackson told NPR's Morning Edition on Wednesday he would be the best alternative to take on Collins.
+ "I won two of the biggest cities, Bangor and Portland," he said. "I'm the only candidate that actually won from north to south. The message that Graham's campaign was going with has been my message forever. I think it's an easy transition to continue fighting for those things."
Nirav Shah, who led Maine's public health agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and who also ran unsuccessfully for governor, told All Things Considered he is also considering a run. Like Jackson, Shah said his gubernatorial campaign had support from every corner in Maine. The question now, he added, is how best to take his Maine-centric message and expand it.
"It's the same set of issues, Medicare for all, making sure that working folks have a shot at getting ahead, holding corporations accountable, but now then zooming them out, so that we can talk about them, not just in Maine, but at the national level," he said. "My priority in my organizational principle is that right now, in 2026 no one should live in poverty, and that's the approach I'm going to be taking."
If Platner doesn't withdraw by this coming Monday, he'll remain on the ballot come November.