Big Action in Maine Senate Race As Candidates Drop Out, Who Will Replace Platner Becomes Clear

By Nick Arama | 7:38 PM on July 19, 2026

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There's been some big action in the effort to replace the scandal-plagued Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for the Maine Senate seat.

We brought you some of the debacle that was the debate to pick the replacement earlier in the week. There were eight people, and even the New York Times had trouble finding something positive in that group. It made everyone realize why the Democrats had been holding on to Platner so hard before he dropped out, even with all the horrible allegations against him.

Now two of the top three candidates have dropped out.

Here's Shenna Bellows, the Maine Secretary of State, who was just awful in the debate.

The most important thing we can do in this moment is unite to defeat Susan Collins. With that in mind, I’m leaving the senate race. Statement below. pic.twitter.com/KGKOlENfPZ
— Shenna Bellows (@shennabellows) July 19, 2026

Next came Nirav Shah, the former Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

pic.twitter.com/GSrpoD5H2Q
— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 19, 2026

TL;DR: he said they had to beat Susan Collins, and he endorsed the far-left pick, former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson.

They're dropping out probably because of how the delegates are currently shaping up.

While they are not legally bound to support him, nearly two-thirds of the 601 delegates have committed to voting for Jackson at that statewide convention. Jackson dominated the county-level meetings this weekend that selected those delegates, with two rivals falling far behind — and one of them, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, dropping out of the race partway through the process Sunday.

So it appears at this point it will be Jackson, the guy with virtually no charisma, but who is satisfactory to the far-left and endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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