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Graham Platner suspended his campaign<\/a> for Senate in Maine on Wednesday, bowing to intense pressure from party leaders after a rape allegation he denies, and opening an uncertain and highly unusual chapter for Maine Democrats.<\/p>\n Mr. Platner\u2019s exit leaves the Maine Democratic Party less than three weeks to find a replacement to challenge Senator Susan Collins, a vulnerable Republican, in one of the country\u2019s most competitive battlegrounds.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what comes next:<\/p>\n There is no set process by which the state party must choose a replacement, but its leaders said in a statement<\/a> late Wednesday that it would hold some form of nominating convention.<\/p>\n The deadline to find a new nominee is July 27 under state law. The state party leaders said in their statement that they would soon announce a \u201cfull timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Even before Mr. Platner bowed out, a crowd of potential contenders to replace him had already begun to form. And some candidates have already officially said they will run.<\/p>\n Troy Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate favored by some progressives, announced<\/a> his bid Wednesday night, as did Jordan Wood, a progressive who lost last month<\/a> in the House primary in northern Maine\u2019s swing congressional district. Dan Kleban, a founder of a brewery, has also said he will run, writing in a Substack post, \u201cI\u2019m in.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Other prospective candidates include Nirav Shah<\/a>, a former state and federal public health official; and Shenna Bellows<\/a>, the Maine secretary of state.<\/p>\n Mr. Shah, Mr. Jackson and Ms. Bellows all lost in the state\u2019s ranked-choice Democratic primary for governor<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n Mr. Jackson said in a statement<\/a> that there \u201cis a powerful movement of working class people in the state of Maine, and millions more across America who are ready to send a progressive fighter to the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been fighting for that movement my whole life \u2014 and I\u2019m sure as hell not backing down now, when this fight is needed most,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Mr. Jackson had already won the support of Representative Ro Khanna, a progressive California Democrat who was once of Mr. Platner\u2019s most vocal endorsers. \u201cI am all in for Troy Jackson to continue the populist progressive movement in Maine,\u201d Mr. Khanna said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n Mr. Wood, who was once chief of staff to Representative Katie Porter of California, also quickly moved to appeal to progressives.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m running for U.S. Senate because to beat Susan Collins, Democrats need a candidate who can provide a true contrast and run an unapologetically progressive campaign,\u201d Mr. Wood, who cut a trip to North and South Dakota short this week, said in a text message from the air as he flew back to Maine. \u201cPassing Medicare for All. Stopping ICE terrorizing our streets. Standing up to Donald Trump\u2019s abuse of power. I am that candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n The state party, in its statement, credited Mr. Platner, an oysterman running a progressive, outsider campaign, for helping to drive an \u201cunprecedented amount of energy and enthusiasm among Maine Democrats.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But the state party, which also called on Mr. Platner to leave the race by Monday, has also been at odds with him over the process to select a replacement.<\/p>\n The party\u2019s executive director, Devon Murphy-Anderson, said Tuesday that Mr. Platner\u2019s team had been had been trying to \u201cput their thumb on the scale\u201d in the party\u2019s planning for his replacement. She said he would have no role in the process.<\/p>\n It was not clear if Mr. Platner would attempt to influence the process going forward. In a video announcing his exit, Mr. Platner, who won the nomination<\/a> last month, said the process should be driven by the voters who turned out in the primary and \u201cvoted against the political system, against the donor class.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not trying to dictate to anyone who it should be, or how we get there,\u201d Mr. Platner said. \u201cBut I will say this: It needs to be open, transparent and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement.\u201d<\/p>\n The state party chair, Charles F. Dingman, a progressive, said Wednesday that the party had not received any further outreach from Mr. Platner\u2019s team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The state party\u2019s statement called for unity, saying that it looked forward to \u201ccoming together and harnessing\u201d energy created around Mr. Platner\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n Its membership held a meeting Wednesday evening where the form of convention was discussed. But Mr. Dingman emphasized hours later that the exact contours of the process had not been finalized.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to have a nominating convention,\u201d he said by phone, \u201cand it is going to be representative.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhen and how will Democrats pick a new nominee?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Who is angling for the nomination?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Does Platner have any influence on who takes his place?<\/span><\/h3>\n