Posted July 13, 2026 | by KimS | in 2026 Elections, DemDaily, Democratic Party, Senate

DemDaily: ReShuffling The Senate Landscape

July 12, 2026

With less than four months until the critical 2026 midterms, the dynamics of more than one Senate has been upended.

In perhaps the highest-profile and most consequential US Senate race of 2026, the drama of charismatic and controversial Maine Democratic nominee Graham Platner came to an end last week -- and with it, the dimmed chances of Democrats taking control of the upper chamber in the midterm elections.

On Wednesday, three days after allegations of sexual assault by a former girlfriend, a somber Platner, in a video posted to social media, said, "We believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be me. And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations."

Under state law, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to submit the name of the new nominee to the Secretary of State to ensure that new or amended general election ballots can be printed for November.

35 of the 100 US Senate seats are up for election in 2026, with Democrats defending 13 seats and Republicans defending 22 seats. With a 53-47 GOP majority in the Senate, Democrats will need to flip a net four seats to retake the Senate.

35 of the 100 US Senate seats are up for election in 2026, with Democrats defending 13 seats and Republicans defending 22 seats. With a 53-47 GOP majority in the Senate, Democrats will need to flip a net four seats to retake the Senate.

The State of the Race
Incumbent Senator Susan Collins, 78, who is the only GOP senator facing re-election in a state that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris won in 2024, is the Senate's most vulnerable Republican. A centrist, Collins, has often cast a pivotal vote on key legislation that borders along party lines. With control of the Senate in play, however, flipping the seat is a top priority for Democrats.

While Collins has been re-elected four times in the moderately blue state that otherwise has voted for a Democrat statewide in every presidential election since 1988, her approval rating has hit a record low of 38%.

Platner, 41, is a Harbor Master, oyster farmer, and former US Marine who did three combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. The progressive populist entered the race in August 2025 with the backing of labor unions and progressive leaders and developed a large national social media presence and fundraising network, drawing large crowds at events.

He was elected the official Democratic nominee June 9, earning 71.9% of the primary vote. Governor Janet Mills, who withdrew from the race April 30 after polling showed Platner with a 30-point lead, was still on the ballot and received 19.4%.

His insurgent campaign, however, was plagued by scandals from his twenties involving explicit sexual and prejudicial social media posts. The compelling Platner attributed his actions to his post-military struggles with PTSD, and the story of his road to redemption, culminating in his 2023 marriage, was embraced by Mainers.

The ultimate breaking point, however, came when a former girlfriend made credible allegations that Platner broke into her house and sexually assaulted her in late 2021.

The backlash was immediate, with high-profile supporters, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Chuck Schumer, withdrawing their endorsements. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Maine Democratic Party also stripped him of financial and institutional backing.

Last Wednesday, July 8, a bitter Platner, while denying the allegations, announced he was suspending his campaign. In an emergency meeting that night, Democratic party leaders -- pledging an open and transparent process -- voted to hold a nominating convention to choose Platner's successor.

What Next?
July 10: Platner officially submitted his formal withdrawal letter to the Maine Secretary of State's Office, permanently removing his name from the ballot. He signs off the letter with the phrase: "F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts."

July 15: Deadline for candidates to file their Declaration of Intent to run for the nomination.

July 20: The deadline for new Democratic contenders to submit the required 500 voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. The signatures must be from residents who were registered as Democratic voters in Maine as of June 9 and must include at least 50 from at least eight of Maine's 16 counties. Candidates can submit no more than 1,000 signatures.

July 25: The Maine Democratic Party will hold a special statewide nominating convention in Bangor, where 601 Delegates will cast ballots until one candidate secures a majority. One hundred and one of them will be Democratic State Committee members and the remaining 500 will be chosen by Democratic county committees at special nominating meetings convened by each county chair.

The Sequential Elimination Process: In the unique process, after the first votes, only the top five candidates with the highest vote counts advance to the second round. Subsequent Rounds: Starting with the second ballot, delegates will vote again, and only the single lowest vote-getter will be dropped at the end of each round. Winning Threshold: The live, in-person balloting loop repeats continuously until one final candidate secures a strict majority (over 50%) of the delegate votes

The Sequential Elimination Process: In the unique process, after the first votes, only the top five candidates with the highest vote counts advance to the second round. Subsequent Rounds: Starting with the second ballot, delegates will vote again, and only the single lowest vote-getter will be dropped at the end of each round. Winning Threshold: The live, in-person balloting loop repeats continuously until one final candidate secures a strict majority (over 50%) of the delegate votes

July 27: The hard legal deadline under Maine state law to officially nominate a replacement candidate to face Susan Collins in November.

The Contenders
Troy Jackson: The former State Senate President announced his candidacy less than an hour after Platner dropped out. A fifth-generation logger from Allagash, he placed third in the June 9 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Our Revolution, the grassroots political action organization that emerged from Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, endorsed Jackson the day after Graham suspended his campaign.

Shenna Bellows: The former State Senator and civil rights advocate, Bellows has served as Secretary of State since 2021. She was the 2014 Democratic Party nominee for US Senate, losing to Collins by 36%. She placed fourth in last month's gubernatorial primary.

Nirav Shah: The former Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, he more recently served as the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC before stepping down to pursue the Democratic nomination for governor -- coming in second to Hannah Pingree

Dan Kleban: The co-founder of Maine Beer Company and clean energy business leader, launched a bid for the 2026 US Senate nomination before suspending his campaign last October and endorsing Mills in the primary.

Jordan Wood: The former Chief of Staff to Congressman Jared Golden, he lost the Democratic primary to succeed Golden in the Second Congressional District, placing third.

David Costello: A dedicated climate advocate who finished third in the June Senate primary with 8.1% of the vote.
Paige Loud: A social worker and candidate for Maine's Second CD, finishing fourth in the June primary.
Andrea LaFlamme: A write-in candidate for the June Senate primary, she secured 0.5% of the vote.
Valli Geiger: The three-term State Representative from Rockland has also expressed interest.

A July 7-8, 2026, Z to A Research poll of likely voters conducted immediately after the sexual assault allegations against Platner broke showed each of three prominent potential candidates in a statistical dead heat in head-to-head general election matchups against Susan Collins (MOE: +/-3.1%).. The survey was commissioned by 314 Action, a pro-Shah outside group.

Simultaneously, as pressure mounted for Platner to drop out of the race, his campaign quietly fielded a July 7 Public Policy Polling flash poll of Maine voters, which tested head-to-head matchups between Collins and Platner, along with the viability of five possible candidates that could replace him on the ballot.

Of the Democrats tested, Jackson performed the best, leading Collins 49%-44%, with 7% of voters undecided. Bellows and Shah both essentially tied Collins at 47% and 45%, respectively. Mills, who is not expected to enter the race, trailed Collins 48%-37%, while Wood trailed 47%-38%. Fifteen percent were undecided in both the Wood and Mills matchups.