{"id":4677,"date":"2026-07-13T02:37:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4677"},"modified":"2026-07-13T02:37:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:37:49","slug":"as-maine-democrats-scramble-to-replace-platner-party-director-says-the-grassroots-energy-needs-to-find-a-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4677","title":{"rendered":"As Maine Democrats scramble to replace Platner, party director says the &#8216;grassroots energy \u2026 needs to find a home&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">As the Maine Democratic Party scrambles to recover from the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/maine-democratic-senate-candidate-graham-platner-suspends-campaign\/story?id=134536907\" dir=\"ltr\">collapsed Senate campaign of Graham Platner<\/a>, at the state party headquarters the phone hasn\u2019t stopped ringing for 31-year-old Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson and her small team &#8212; along with a growing army of unpaid volunteers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">They\u2018re facing uncharted political waters since Platner withdrew from the election last week in the race against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins while continuing to deny an allegation of sexual assault that derailed his candidacy.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The party is now building a candidate selection process from scratch in a race that could decide which party controls the Senate.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PHOTO: Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188,  June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine. \" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188, June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Laura Brett\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"vPZug ZqdKL xcLAU bunQU uhXXI PjNjV lNbol LBPRq \">2 weeks to choose a new candidate&#8230;<\/h3>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cAs everyone now knows in the country, we owe the Secretary of State at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27th, a name,\u201d Murphy-Anderson told ABC News\u2019 Jay O\u2019Brien on Saturday. She added later, \u201cWe&#8217;ve got two weeks \u2026 so our goal going into this was to make this as fair and transparent and inclusive a process as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Democrats plan a 601-person party convention to be held on July 25, just two days before the deadline. Those delegates will include 101 members from the state party\u2019s central committee and 500 delegates from all of Maine\u2019s 16 counties. Voters will also have a say, Murphy-Anderson told O\u2019Brien, including meetings within their local parties beforehand.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThat&#8217;s the biggest problem facing you guys, isn&#8217;t it? Making sure that voters who voted in that primary overwhelmingly for Graham Platner feel represented?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur Rnci \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/bfc3ca23-6707-45ad-b10b-1121abd7bf57\/TW-DEVON-MURPHY-ANDERSON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872810230_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/bfc3ca23-6707-45ad-b10b-1121abd7bf57\/TW-DEVON-MURPHY-ANDERSON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872810230_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/bfc3ca23-6707-45ad-b10b-1121abd7bf57\/TW-DEVON-MURPHY-ANDERSON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872810230_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/bfc3ca23-6707-45ad-b10b-1121abd7bf57\/TW-DEVON-MURPHY-ANDERSON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872810230_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/bfc3ca23-6707-45ad-b10b-1121abd7bf57\/TW-DEVON-MURPHY-ANDERSON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872810230_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said the party&#8217;s goal for its candidate selection process is &#8220;to make this as fair and transparent and inclusive a process as possible.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">ABC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI think we face a lot of challenges, right? And that is definitely one of them,\u201d Murphy-Anderson said, adding later, \u201cThe grassroots energy that we had up until this moment needs to find a home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">O\u2019Brien pressed Murphy Anderson: \u201cAre you worried that it might not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cNo, I&#8217;m not. And if you are here on the ground in Maine, I am confident that you will come away with that same conclusion,\u201d Murphy-Anderson responded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine combat veteran, built up an insurgent, progressive campaign and guided it through other scandals and controversies, including reports he sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women shortly after he was married in 2023, as well as questions about a tattoo on his chest resembling a Nazi symbol.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner said he got the tattoo while he was drunk on leave with other Marines in 2007; he later covered it up, claiming he hadn\u2019t known its significance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., largely stuck by him until less than a week ago when an ex-girlfriend accused Platner of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. A chorus of Democrats &#8212; including Sanders &#8212; then <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/graham-platner-campaign-reflect-best-path-forward-after\/story?id=134529321\" dir=\"ltr\">called on him to step aside<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner initially dragged his feet, and even when he announced he would suspend his bid, claimed, \u201cI learned about this [allegation] through press inquiries, with no time to truly respond, no time for investigations, before a corporate media system and the political establishment got to act as judge, jury, and executioner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But in a defiant video last week, Murphy-Anderson blamed Platner and his campaign for essentially holding the process of picking a replacement hostage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Platner\u2019s campaign confirmed it had reached out to the party, but denied trying to influence the selection process, saying the campaign was trying to understand how Platner would be replaced on the ballot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;What gave you that impression that they were trying to dictate terms here?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked Murphy-Anderson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">She declined to share specifics of the demands she said Platner\u2019s team made, but said they had made \u201cdirect calls to my phone,\u201d later saying they \u201ccalled with very specific things that they were asking for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThis campaign that had been centered on not putting their thumb on the scale, was now trying to do the same thing, and his supporters deserved better, our supporters deserved better, and Mainers deserve better,\u201d Murphy-Anderson told O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When he ultimately ended his campaign, Platner blamed \u201clarge forces\u201d working against him after Senate leadership threatened to pull campaign funding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWe believe that for the movement to continue, it can&#8217;t be me\u201d on the ballot, he said in <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/2075009677495058687\" dir=\"ltr\">an 11-minute video<\/a> posted on social media late Wednesday, but added, \u201cThose in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all of the things that we need to run a campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Murphy-Anderson pushed back sharply on that insinuation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThis is not an institution. You&#8217;re here in our office. There&#8217;s no cigar smoke to be seen, right? It is a bunch of young people,\u201d she told O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cBut he did kind of create that impression,\u201d O\u2019Brien pressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI don&#8217;t know what his end goal was, and I&#8217;m not concerned with that,\u201d Murphy-Anderson responded.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur Rnci \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/55da157e-806f-4eb5-95d2-27187d3536a1\/TW-NIRAV-SHAH-SPEAK-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872655246_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/55da157e-806f-4eb5-95d2-27187d3536a1\/TW-NIRAV-SHAH-SPEAK-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872655246_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/55da157e-806f-4eb5-95d2-27187d3536a1\/TW-NIRAV-SHAH-SPEAK-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872655246_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/55da157e-806f-4eb5-95d2-27187d3536a1\/TW-NIRAV-SHAH-SPEAK-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872655246_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/55da157e-806f-4eb5-95d2-27187d3536a1\/TW-NIRAV-SHAH-SPEAK-20260712-ABC-JH_1783872655246_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Dr. Nirav Shah speaks to a town hall meeting in Freeport, Maine, on July 11, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">ABC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"vPZug ZqdKL xcLAU bunQU uhXXI PjNjV lNbol LBPRq \">\u2026and 2 weeks for them to make their case to take on Collins<\/h3>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">While only a few days old, the race to replace Platner is already in full swing. At least seven hopefuls so far, including statewide leaders and former candidates for other races, are pitching themselves as the best bet to unseat Collins, Maine\u2019s longtime Republican senator. She is the only Republican defending a Senate seat this year in a state Trump lost in 2024.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The list of candidates includes former State Senate President and logger Troy Jackson, who&#8217;s trying to pick up Platner\u2019s working class mantle; as well as Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban and the state\u2019s former CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">At the first stop on Shah\u2019s new town hall tour launched in the wake of Platner\u2019s withdrawal, Shah told O\u2019Brien he was not worried Platner\u2019s scandals have made it harder to defeat Collins, and that he doesn\u2019t think he\u2019s lost valuable time as a candidate despite launching his bid so late.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cOur mission hasn&#8217;t changed. The person who&#8217;s going to be at the front of that mission is changing, but the desire, the enthusiasm, the zeal among Democrats to defeat Susan Collins has not changed at all,\u201d Shah said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Collins, who has won five Senate races in Maine, says the change in her opponent doesn\u2019t impact her approach.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI never take any race for granted,\u201d she <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wmtw.com\/article\/i-never-take-any-race-for-granted-sen-collins-weighs-in-on-reelection-chances\/71906409\" dir=\"ltr\">told ABC affiliate WMTW<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur Rnci \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d1dc92bf-6353-4e2f-aa75-fdb593fe01e0\/TW-SANDRA-SMITH-CONGDON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783873001975_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d1dc92bf-6353-4e2f-aa75-fdb593fe01e0\/TW-SANDRA-SMITH-CONGDON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783873001975_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d1dc92bf-6353-4e2f-aa75-fdb593fe01e0\/TW-SANDRA-SMITH-CONGDON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783873001975_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d1dc92bf-6353-4e2f-aa75-fdb593fe01e0\/TW-SANDRA-SMITH-CONGDON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783873001975_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d1dc92bf-6353-4e2f-aa75-fdb593fe01e0\/TW-SANDRA-SMITH-CONGDON-20260712-ABC-JH_1783873001975_hpEmbed_16x9.jpeg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Graham Platner supporter Sandra Smith Congdon said she thinks most of those who backed Platner will come out to support the new candidate, but it won\u2019t be easy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">ABC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"vPZug ZqdKL xcLAU bunQU uhXXI PjNjV lNbol LBPRq \">Former Platner supporters look at the road ahead<\/h3>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But Democrats face the additional challenge of uniting behind a new candidate, as some former Platner supporters say they\u2019re grieving the withdrawal of their preferred candidate and hoping their second choice doesn&#8217;t hurt Democrats\u2019 chances in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Mark Read, a Democrat who supported Platner, told O\u2019Brien, \u201cI think most of us were attracted to the politics that he spoke to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Another Platner supporter, Sandra Smith Congdon, told O\u2019Brien she thinks most of those who backed Platner will come out to support the new candidate in the end, although it won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">\u201cI think people will take some time, but I think ultimately they will. I think that they need to get behind whoever the nominee is and support that person to beat Susan Collins, because ultimately that&#8217;s what matters,\u201d she said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Maine Democratic Party scrambles to recover from the collapsed Senate campaign of Graham Platner, at the state party headquarters the phone hasn\u2019t stopped ringing for 31-year-old Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson and her small team &#8212; along with a growing army of unpaid volunteers. They\u2018re facing uncharted political waters since Platner withdrew from the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/3d65d1fe-1d3d-4e94-a503-f9e1b4e333ff\/Graham-1-gty-er-260706_1783367881191_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}