Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) jumped into the state's U.S. Senate race Thursday, seeking to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee after Platner suspended his campaign following multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
Bellows, who lost to incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) by nearly 37 points in 2014, cast her candidacy as a continuation of the grassroots energy Platner had harnessed. “The people of Maine have been building a movement that deserves to continue all the way to November,” Bellows said in a statement. “After serious consideration, I am announcing my campaign for United States Senate, because I believe that together we can unify Democrats in Maine at this difficult time, and forge ahead with a campaign that fights for working people, stands up to a broken system that’s working against us, and defeats Susan Collins.”
Platner, a progressive who won the Democratic primary last month, halted his campaign Wednesday after allegations surfaced that he raped a woman in 2021 and removed a condom without consent during a sexual encounter with another ex-girlfriend. He has denied the claims. The allegations prompted a scramble among Maine Democrats to field a replacement, with contenders including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, and former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood. Kleban and Wood had previously run for the nomination but dropped out last fall.
Bellows’ entry reshapes the race. She brings name recognition from her tenure as Maine’s top election official since January 2021 and her previous challenge to Collins. In December 2023, Bellows ruled Donald Trump ineligible for the 2024 GOP primary ballot in Maine, citing his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The Supreme Court unanimously overturned that decision in March 2024.
The Democratic nomination process now rests with the state party’s committee, which voted Wednesday to hold a nominating convention. Under state law, a replacement must be selected by July 27. Party leaders Charlie Dingman, Imke Schessler, and Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a joint statement: “We will announce the full timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates soon. We will keep the public informed throughout the process — transparency is of the utmost importance.”
Bellows framed her campaign in populist terms, echoing Platner’s rhetoric. “It will be about the people of Maine, who are fighting so hard to just get by, pay the bills, and save a little bit for their future. It will be about the people who are sick and tired of getting screwed over, while the billionaires and massive corporations get special favors in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
The race has drawn national attention, with multiple Democrats flooding the field after Platner's scandal-driven exit. Bellows’ rematch with Collins would test whether the political landscape has shifted enough for a Democrat to unseat the four-term Republican in a state that has trended blue in presidential elections but has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in decades.
The allegations against Platner have also sparked debate. David Axelrod slammed Platner's exit as 'tawdry,' comparing it to Trump's playbook, while others have criticized the left’s response to the allegations. Platner has denied all accusations, calling them “false.”
