Who's in the mix to replace Graham Platner. And who isn't.
Last edited Fri Jul 10, 2026, 04:04 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: The Maine Monitor
RUNNING
Shenna Bellows — Running
...
David Costello — Running
...
Troy Jackson — Running
....
Dan Kleban — Running
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Andrea LaFlamme — Running
...
Paige Loud — Running
...
Nirav Shah — Running
....
Jordan Wood — Running
...
MAYBE
Valli Gieger — Maybe
...
Janet Mills — Maybe
..
Ryan Fecteau — Maybe
...
NOT RUNNING
Jared Golden — Not running
...
Emily Cain — Not running
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Patrick Dempsey — Not running
...
Read more: https://themainemonitor.org/who-will-replace-platner/
See the article for candidate, potential candidate, or non-candidate background and statements
= new reply since forum marked as read
...but I'm "from away," as they say in Maine.
She lost her grassroots campaign against Collins badly in 2014, but her 350 mile, 24-day "Walk with Maine for Jobs and the Economy" was an inspiring thing.
Maine Public
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2014-08-12/bellows-finishing-350-mile-walk-across-maine
Bellows Finishing 350-Mile Walk Across Maine
Since 2014, her resume has been upgraded. From Gemini (apply the level of skepticism you apply to all AI):
Bellows' trajectory since 2014 includes the following key milestones:
Maine State Senate (2016–2020): Bellows won a district that also voted for Donald Trump, serving as chair of the Labor and Housing Committee. Her legislative efforts focused on equal pay, paid sick leave, and senior property tax relief.
Executive Leadership: She served as the executive director for the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine from 2018 to 2020.
Secretary of State (2021–Present): Elected by the legislature, she became the first woman to hold the office. Bellows focused on government modernization, implementing online and automatic voter registration, and helped Maine achieve national-leading voter turnout in the 2022 midterms.
National Profile: She made national headlines in December 2023 when she ruled that Donald Trump was ineligible for the Maine primary ballot due to his role in the January 6 attack, though this decision was eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.2026
Campaigns: Bellows ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination but placed fourth in the June primary.
In July 2026, following the withdrawal of the Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, she officially entered the race to challenge incumbent Susan Collins.
She placed fourth in the first round, but the percentages won by the top four candidate were pretty close.
I admit I haven't seen Bellows in action with voters, so don't have a feel for the level of personal appeal, but here's an interview.
Whoever they go with will be great though. I suspect it will come down to Shaw, Jackson, and Bellows though.
