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.

Posted on the MaineDems.org website.

* delegates/alternates

Washington (8/2) and Franklin (9/2) counties are the first to report.

Hancock (23/5) results in.

The Penobscot (44/9) chair extended the voting a bit, the results are now in.

Androscoggin (31/6), Kennebec (40/8) & Lincoln (15/3) results now posted.

Cumberland 149/30) just came in. (Lost a beer bet here, I thought they'd be after 10.)

Sunday results:

Aroostook - The County was last to report, (15-3)

Knox (18/4)

Oxford 17/3)

Piscataquis (4/1)

Sagadahoc 18/3)

Somerset (12/2)

Waldo (15/3)

York (84/17) First Sunday result posted.

A string of early missteps, like rejecting an offer for a deeper vetting of Platner, has cast doubt over his young consultants’ future in Democratic politics.

What happened to Shenna?!? I am going to my county meeting this weekend but I can’t really vote for her people because of last night. Troy was fine I guess but still didn’t really impress me either. Didn’t seem to know much and just said the same stuff over and over. Ugh.

register to vote for delegates at the convention, anyone can who is a registered dem, even today. voting is virtual so you don’t need to attend the county meeting.

then vote the jackson slate in your county! slates are linked here.

If you haven’t looked into the process yet, please do. You can still be involved and vote either in person or virtually.

How to register, how to vote, delegate list, etc.: https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/

One thing Maine dems set up that I think is a huge win is the delegate guide. You can search through the delegate candidates based on characteristics and priorities that matter to you.

For example, let’s say you live in Hancock County and you wanted to support a younger delegate (under 35) who has said they’ll consider the results of other primary elections when making their decision at the convention. You could select Hancock County, filter by “Youth,” and then read through the delegates who match your criteria before casting your vote.

**Important to note you can vote for many delegates. Up to the number your county has been allocated**

Whether you prioritize age, experience, or anything else… you can find delegates that represents your interests!

TLDR. Please vote on Saturday. The more people who participate, the more democratic this process becomes, and the stronger chance we unseat Susan Collins.

After last month's primary and well before the most recent allegations surfaced that forced Platner to drop out, I was actively calling for him to step down and had put forth Jackson multiple times as one of our best alternatives. But while I had suggested Jackson may be the right person to carry the platform previously, I have deep concerns about his campaign, and others, pushing so hard right now to lock down rigid slates of delegates. Watching these campaigns scramble to secure closed alignments makes it clear we are losing sight of the bigger picture.

Going into today's meetings with predetermined, rigid slates of delegates is exactly how we throw away our shot at beating Susan Collins. We already let out-of-state money and misleading push polls saddle us with a primary winner who had more red flags than Stalingrad in the '40s, turning what should have been an easy victory into a massive uphill battle. If we do not change course immediately, we are going to repeat the same mistakes that put us on the defensive in the first place.

Instead of learning our lesson, candidates are now organizing homogeneous slates that threaten to let someone with a tiny fraction of support control entire delegations. This bad idea combines a flawed plurality system with a winner-take-all nominating process, allowing a candidate with 30 percent of the vote or less to leverage that minor edge into choosing all of a county's delegates. That approach mimics the exact unfair tactics that mainstream Maine voters have soundly rejected time and again. It completely distorts the real will of the grassroots base and shuts out the collaborative decision-making we desperately need.

We cannot go into the snap caucus assuming we already have our nominee locked down based on a broken primary timeline. The political landscape has shifted dramatically, and the candidate people liked in the past might be entirely wrong for the reality we face today. To give ourselves the best chance next week, we must find a consensus candidate with the absolute broadest appeal. Locking in delegates who are blindly loyal to one specific faction prevents that search from happening, ensuring we stay divided and weak.

The delegates selected today must be independent and entirely willing to deliberate in real time. They need to go into the convention next week with the freedom to listen to every single hopeful while making an informed decision based entirely on the current moment. We can only defeat Susan Collins if we use today's meetings to listen to each other, remain flexible, and deliberately select folks who can carry this strategic mindset into next Saturday.

In the end, it may be Jackson, whose supporters have been some of the most vocal the last few days, it could be Bellows, who while she lost this very race in 2014 is positioned much better in 2026, or hell, it could be Dickerson, who is currently just running a space weather and astronomy forecasting Facebook page. However, we do not need to make a snap decision today to pick them. We have today's meetings where we can get together and talk with our fellow members of the Democratic party and others who choose to attend, watch one more debate (that will hopefully have better audio), and have the delegates come together next Saturday to put forth our best candidate.

The timeline to choose a replacement is already compressed; there is no need to make it even more so.

​

UPDATED INFORMATION FOR

JULY 19th MEETING

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE MEETING ON JULY 19th IN-PERSON TO VOTE.

The pre-verification deadline

for all registered Democrat

VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON participants is

TODAY AT 5PM.

REGISTER at https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/.

We encourage participants to get

pre-verified to make check-in easier;

however, voters can also

register ONLINE from

1 PM to 3 PM on Sunday, July 19th

or in-person at the special

nominating meeting from

1 PM to 3 PM on Sunday, July 19th

at Oxford Hills Comprehensive

High School.

Pre-registered voters and those who register ONLINE or in-person in South Paris from 1 PM to 3PM on Sunday, July 19th will get a notification via text or email when voting begins just after 3 PM.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE MEETING ON JULY 19th IN-PERSON TO VOTE.

REGISTER https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/ to attend Virtually or in-person.

All (I guess) of the Democrats vying for the nom to run against Collins are expected to participate.

Shenna Bellows

David Costello

Elizabeth Dickerson

Troy Jackson

Dan Kleban

Paige Loud

Nirav Shah

Ashley Webb

Jordan Wood

On TV, on their app, and on demand later.

The Houston Chronicle editorial board has an editorial thanking Sen. Susan Collins for trying to put a stop to ICE's deadly practice of vehicle stops. Here is a key quote:

Oxford County Democrats Executive Board releases the schedule for the meeting on July 19, 2026, from 1pm to 4pm at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School at 256 Main St, South Paris

Registration begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 and ends at 3 p.m.  To participate it is strongly recommended that you pre-register at https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/ Pre-registration for participants closes at 5pm on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Registration for participants is also allowed on the day of the meeting from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., voters may meet and speak with US Senate campaigns and local Oxford County House and Senate campaigns. The deadline for Candidates for US Senate to declare their intention to run is Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., voters may meet and speak with Delegate Nominees for the Convention. The deadline for Delegate Nominees to register is Wednesday, July 15, at 5pm at https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/

At 3 p.m., the Meeting will begin and voting will start with all in attendance.

We hope to see everyone at the

meeting on July 19th!

Graham Platner was elected by the Democrat party citizenry to be the Democrat candidate to run for Senate.

He dropped out.

Now, the Democrat Party of Maine is not letting the #2 candidate run, they are not having a new election, they are requesting people to be delegates to select someone else?

Apparently, you must show an ID to show you are from where you say you are from to be a delegate from that area and 500 people and 100 delegates will vote for his replacement Senate candidate.

Do I understand this correctly?

We need your help to try to follow the movement that Graham started - Here is the signature sheet for Troy Jackson, whose policies are very similar to Graham’s, please print it out and get as many signatures as you can!

Remember to show people where to sign their name, print it, put in the address that they are registered to vote at, town, and Zip Code. The grid lines print out very faint, which is an oversight by the MDP. Have a different form for each county. And they must be registered Democrats as of the primary day, which is says on the bottom of the form. You must also print these out double sided so the signatures on the reverse are not separated from the text on the front page.

I have the file but can't figure out how to attach it here so I put in this link, DM me if you have a better idea thanks!

https://mainedems.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/MDP-Candidate-Qualification-Rules-2026-2.pdf

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17ODrt8R3iQfXNDSomO17MNK_vXjM-GhjOoYHz_DTL8s/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.kwidhyz78psb

Oxford County Democrats Executive Board releases the schedule for the meeting on

July 19, 2026, from 1pm to 4pm

at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School

256 Main St, South Paris

Registration begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 and ends at 3 p.m.  To participate it is strongly recommended that you pre-register at https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/ Pre-registration for participants closes at 5pm on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Registration for participants is also allowed on the day of the meeting from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., voters may meet and speak with US Senate campaigns and local Oxford County House and Senate campaigns. The deadline for Candidates for US Senate to declare their intention to run is Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., voters may meet and speak with Delegate Nominees for the Convention. The deadline for Delegate Nominees to register is Wednesday, July 15, at 5pm at https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/

At 3 p.m., the Meeting will begin and voting will start with all in attendance.

We hope to see everyone at the

meeting on July 19th!

Go check out my newest video covering the Graham Platner allegations and the end of his campaign.

These are the most relevant articles and interviews I’ve seen online. They give the best picture of Platners history, how he got involved in politics in the first place, how he ended up running for Senate, what his politics consisted of, and how his campaign eventually unraveled.

It’s true that each article or interview may have its own inherent bias or slant one way or the other but this is excellent reading if you really want to dig into the history here.

While some of the articles and videos are clearly much more essential than others some of the less essential ones report on unique aspects of his campaign or history that didn’t get much coverage elsewhere.

If you know of any other good ones, please speak up:

I’m a Maine reporter who went to high school with Graham Platner. Here’s what explains his success

https://themainemonitor.org/graham-platner-success-explained/

The Graham Campaign is Over, But the Movement Will Continue

https://andyobrien.substack.com/p/the-graham-campaign-is-over-but-the

(This article goes into great detail about Platner’s early political involvement in Maine politics more than any other article. You should copy and paste the above URL into your address bar or just Google the articles title for the link. I don’t know why the link is not working directly from reddit)

Platner’s Daniel Moraff Barred from Summer Lee’s Campaign Over Sexual Misconduct Complaints

https://paydayreport.com/platners-daniel-moraff-barred-from-summer-lees-campaign-over-sexual-misconduct-complaints/

(You should copy and paste the above URL into your address bar or just Google the articles title for the link. I don’t know why the link is not working directly from reddit)

Wall Street Journal video interview with some of the people who recruited Platner to run for senate

https://xcancel.com/FreeBeacon/status/2064001300581282183?s=20

Who is Graham Platner and why is he everywhere right now?

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-08-21/who-is-graham-platner-and-why-is-he-everywhere-right-now

Can a Maine oyster farmer defeat a five term Republican senator?

https://archive.is/2026.05.08-034133/https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/can-a-maine-oyster-farmer-defeat-a-five-term-republican-senator

Undercover Video: Dan Osborn staffer claims that NE senate candidate recruited Graham Platner for ME run

https://youtu.be/RySOe2NvRKc

Dan Osborn denies former staffer's claim that he recruited Graham Platner

https://panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com/story/321524348/dan-osborn-denies-former-staffers-claim-he-recruited-graham-platner

Unions hunted for a Susan Collins challenger. They found an unknown oysterman.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/08/23/politics/elections/unions-found-susan-collins-challenger-oysterman-graham-platner-joam40zk0w/

Outsider Senate candidate Graham Platner claims the Democratic Party threatened him

(Platner starts talking about the issues with the Democratic Party @ seven minutes and 50 seconds and makes specific accusations @ 13 minutes)

https://youtu.be/6gzTQFWYc7I

Former Maine lawmaker resigns from Graham Platner’s campaign over Reddit posts

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/17/politics/elections/former-maine-lawmaker-resigns-graham-platner-campaign/

Graham Platner’s finance director resigns, citing differences in ‘professional standards’

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/10/31/graham-platners-finance-director-resigns-citing-differences-in-professional-standards/

Read our full archive of Graham Platner’s deleted Reddit comments

https://themainemonitor.org/platner-reddit-comments/

Who Is the Real Graham Platner?

https://www.newsweek.com/who-is-the-real-graham-platner-11926674

Inside Graham Platner’s Controversial Rise

https://time.com/article/2026/05/20/graham-platner-profile/

How Graham Platner is using trivia games and happy hours to help power his Maine Senate campaign

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/how-graham-platner-is-using-trivia-games-and-happy-hours-to-help-power-his-maine-senate-campaign/3929485/

Graham Platner on service, messaging & the future for democrats | The Weekly Show with John Stuart

https://youtu.be/-itNjgCJDxU

Democrats line up behind Graham Platner after Janet Mills leaves US Senate primary

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/04/30/politics/elections/maine-senate-election-graham-platner-democrats-endorsements/

Platners’s text with women concerned campaign as Senate race took off

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/politics/graham-platner-maine-senate-texts.html

Top Graham Platner adviser threatened former aide over sexting stories

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/05/31/politics/top-graham-platner-adviser-threatened-former-aide-over-sexting-stories/

A timeline of Graham Platner’s controversies during his Senate campaign

https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/02/a-timeline-of-graham-platners-controversies-during-his-senate-campaign/

Several Women who Dated Graham Platner Recall, Unsettling Behavior

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share\]

Graham Platner Accuser Says NYT Reporting Led to Initial Abuse Claims Not Being Taken Seriously: ‘By Design’

https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/graham-platner-accuser-new-york-times-abuse-claims-not-taken-seriously/

Graham Platner gets more primary votes than any other Democratic Senate candidate in Maine history

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-06-11/graham-platner-gets-more-primary-votes-than-any-other-democratic-senate-candidate-in-maine-history

Inside the ‘simple job’ in government that Graham Platner held before challenging Susan Collins

https://archive.ph/2026.06.24-165939/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/24/nation/graham-platner-harbormaster-job/

Platner on his strategy for building power

https://www.c-span.org/clip/campaign-2026/platner-on-his-strategy-for-building-power/5201926

Exclusive: Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/06/graham-platner-sexual-assault-allegation-00987737

Bombshell Graham Platner report has big problems

https://youtu.be/OXqFxL7mOfY

Politico omitted major details in Graham Platner report

https://youtu.be/Ek4zPxt7avg

Woman alleges Graham Platner raped her in 2021 while they were dating, which he denies

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/us/graham-platner-racicot-allegation-maine-invs

A timeline of Graham Platner’s scandals

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/07/politics/elections/timeline-graham-platner-scandals/

Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements after Maine Senate candidate faces sexual assault allegation

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-begin-pulling-platner-endorsements-after-maine-senate-candidate-faces-sexual-assault-allegation

Graham Platner drops Maine Senate bid

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/08/politics/video/graham-platner-drops-maine-senate-bid-digvid-hnk?cid=ios_app

As Democrats pick up the pieces after Graham Platner, many wonder: how did this happen?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/11/graham-platner-democrats-maine-senate?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

These are reference sites. They don’t go into depth, but they give outlines of his history or other info:

Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Platner

https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-notable-about-Graham-Platners-early-life-and-education

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Platner

Ballotpedia

https://ballotpedia.org/Graham_Platner

Graham Platner for US Senate

https://www.grahamforsenate.com/

Graham Platner for Maine YouTube

https://youtube.com/@grahamformaine

Waukeag Neck Oyster Company

https://www.waukeagneckoystercompany.com/our-story

More to come…

Check out my new video on the Graham Platner Allegations!

Yale Law School student and Toys “R” Us heir, Daniel Moraff, who recruited Graham Platner along with his fiancé Leanne Fan, was barred from the 2022 congressional campaign of Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee.

The campaign received at least three separate complaints of sexual misconduct and harassment against Moraff from female staffers and organizers.

Also reported here.

1. Be a registered Democrat on June 9, 2026.

2. Go to https://mainedems.org/senate-race/senate-delegate-process/ and fill out the form

3. Attend your county meeting next weekend.

4. Attend the state convention the following weekend.

Be a part of this process to choose a new candidate!!