The hunt is on for Platner’s replacement in Maine

Maine Democrats accused Graham Platner’s Senate campaign of putting a “thumb on the scale” in the debate over how to replace him, as nearly all of his endorsers deserted him.

“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee,” said Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director, on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Platner’s erstwhile progressive allies urged Democrats to replace him with former gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson — like Platner, a progressive endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Jackson filed paperwork to explore a run on Tuesday, and Nirav Shah, who got more votes than Jackson for governor, told Semafor that the party should have an open process after Platner quits. “Every moment that passes where he has not exited the race means that the eventual nominee has less time to build a coalition.”