Senate Democrats are watching the Maine primary race with mounting discomfort, caught in an awkward position after backing an outsider candidate who now faces serious scrutiny just days before voters decide.
Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, will meet with Senate Democrats on Thursday afternoon to address concerns that have emerged about his personal conduct. The encounter reflects growing unease among party leaders who are trapped between doubt and the hard reality of a competitive race they cannot afford to lose.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had supported Gov. Janet Mills to avoid this exact scenario. Instead, Platner won the party's endorsement, leaving Democrats to grapple with an untested candidate facing intense media attention over allegations involving his relationships with women.
Some senators are openly anxious. "I've heard some of my colleagues' concerns about what we've read in the papers," said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who backed Mills. "But at the end of the day, we've got to win."
Others are taking a wait-and-see approach. "I'll know more after tomorrow's briefing on that," said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). "But clearly, campaigns and candidates have to be fully transparent as things come out."
Platner will have two fundraisers scheduled alongside his Senate meeting, suggesting party insiders still believe he can move forward despite the complications.
The Mills Question
The drama has caught Gov. Mills' attention. Some of her political allies have been encouraging her to reactivate her campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. Mills has not taken that step, but she fueled speculation Thursday when she told the Portland Press Herald: "People have the impression that I 'withdrew' or 'dropped out,' but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot."
That comment leaves the door theoretically open, even as party leaders appear reluctant to pursue a candidate swap just over a week before the primary.
Maine law does provide Democrats with an exit route if revelations become more damaging. The party could replace its nominee if Platner withdraws before July 13, with a replacement chosen at a state convention rather than through another primary. It's a break-glass option no one wants to use.
"Practically, it might be feasible to swap out candidates," one operative familiar with Maine politics noted. "Politically, it will be close to impossible."
Progressive senators who backed Platner earlier in the process are standing by their choice. "I think it's important for us to focus on the issues facing working families a little bit more than Graham Platner's marriage," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren pointed to the broader stakes. "Susan Collins has a history of supporting Donald Trump," she told reporters. "Graham Platner is showing the courage and determination to take that on. I believe that's what the people of Maine care most about."
The primary is eight days away. Democrats say they are prepared to back Platner if he survives scrutiny and maintains his position, but the anxiety is real and the window for decisions is closing fast.
Author James Rodriguez: "Democrats wanted a clean primary. Instead they got a test of whether a flawed candidate beats a vulnerable Republican, and they're stuck hoping the answer is yes."
Comments