Politics
Maine Democrat Shenna Bellows drops out of race to replace Graham Platner
SANFORD, Maine — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ended her Senate campaign on Sunday, further clearing the path for rival Troy Jackson as he consolidates support in a fast-moving Democratic nomination contest.
“This has been an unprecedented nominating process, compressed into days instead of months, and I’m grateful to every volunteer who worked around the clock for this movement,” Bellows said in a statement. “That energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November — and Democrats don’t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal.”
Bellows was the most prominent woman to enter the breakneck contest, which has unfolded over the last week after Graham Platner ended his campaign following POLITICO’s report that a woman who used to date him accused him of sexual assault. He has denied the allegations.
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Maine’s former CDC Director Nirav Shah dropped out of the Democratic primary for Senate on Sunday, a day after pleading his case to delegates in Augusta.
“A few weeks ago, I entered this race because I could not accept the idea of Susan Collins gliding to a sixth term at the very moment Maine families are being forced to pay the price for her votes,” Shah wrote in a statement on X.
“Today, I am stepping aside, and I am doing it for exactly the same reason that led me to get in: we must defeat Susan Collins, and the Democratic Party must be unified to do it,” he added.
His statement follows Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to suspend her campaign.
Both Shah and Bellows were vying for the spot vacated by oyster farmer Graham Platner, whose platform gained traction but was overcome by allegations of rape, abuse and racism.
Democrats in the Pine Tree State are now scrambling to find a replacement for Platner, who pulled in millions from PACs such as Act Blue and Majority Forward.
More than 10 candidates threw their hat in the ring to earn the party nomination, but former state Sen. Troy Jackson (D) is leading the pack.
Shah endorsed Jackson on Sunday, arguing he was the best candidate to defeat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November.
However, less than 24 hours ago, Shah claimed to be the most electable out of the crowded field of candidates to replace Graham.
“Senator Collins has been able to be elected and re-elected is that every cycle she peels off a small percentage of Democrats who cross over and vote for her. The key to defeating Senator Collins is achieving party unity,” Shah said on Saturday at the Maine Democratic Special Nominating Meeting.
“The candidate who can keep Democrats unified is going to be the candidate who is most able to defeat her. The reason why that matters is that I am the candidate that has the strongest case for electability,” the former Maine CDC director added.
Early in his campaign, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said Maine deserved a “better” candidate than Shah, criticizing the way he handled a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak while leading Illinois’ public health department.
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