MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Maine Democrats are scrambling for a new U.S. Senate nominee to take on longtime incumbent Republican Susan Collins. That is, of course, because the Democratic nominee, Graham Platner announced he was suspending his bid after he was accused of rape by a former romantic partner. Planter (ph) denies that allegation. This all leaves Maine Democrats in a race against the clock to find Platner's replacement. NPR politics reporter Saige Miller is here with the latest. Hey, Saige.
SAIGE MILLER, BYLINE: Hey.
KELLY: So we know Platner dropped out of the race because powerful Democrats mobilized and urged him to get out. How is he explaining his decision?
MILLER: Yeah, so Platner posted an 11-minute video on social media where he was obviously emotional and even angry at the situation he found himself in. Platner said he essentially had no choice. His campaign just wasn't viable anymore.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GRAHAM PLATNER: We are going to lose our ability to fundraise. We are going to lose our ability to access voter data. We are going to lose all of the things that any campaign needs on the basic level simply to function.
MILLER: Platner has survived a waterfall of scandals since he announced he was running for Senate, but the rape allegation seems to be the nail in the coffin. He added he thinks this was the political establishment's goal all along - to get him and the progressive movement Mainers want off the ballot.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PLATNER: We built a campaign. We engaged in electoral politics. We motivated people. We banded together. We did it the way that we were told we are supposed to make change, and we won. And now they are not going to let us have it, not if it's me.
MILLER: Platner said suspending the campaign is not an admission of guilt. He is doing it to keep the momentum alive, to beat Collins in the general election. Platner has not officially filed the paperwork to withdraw from the race yet, though. He has until 5 p.m. on Monday to do so.
KELLY: Why? What happens Monday at 5 p.m.?
MILLER: Well, if he withdraws by that date, the Maine Democratic Party can get a new nominee and name on the ballot ahead of the November general election. And this is a really important race for Democrats if they want to take control of the Senate. Maine is critical to that goal. And it's undeniable that Platner generated a lot of enthusiasm in Maine. He was running on a very progressive platform of affordability, universal healthcare, getting corporate money out of politics, and he was even endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Though this week, Sanders did call on Platner to drop out. Polls showed that he had a solid chance of defeating Collins, and now the party is faced with a pretty big obstacle - who replaces Platner and can maintain that level of excitement?
KELLY: Well, go to that process question. What is Maine - the Maine Democratic Party's plan to replace Graham Platner?
MILLER: I mean, they're working on it. The party released a statement right before Platner announced he was withdrawing from the race that they planned to hold a nominating convention to replace him. The statement specifically mentioned working closely with Platner's supporters to select a new nominee. And I think the party knows that they have to involve those who stood behind Platner if they have a shot at taking down Collins.
Of course, people have already been lining up and have strong opinions on who should replace him. At least one former state lawmaker, Troy Jackson, has launched an exploratory committee, and he's also already clenched the endorsement of Bernie Sanders' political organization Our Revolution. Still, it's going to be a very tight turnaround. A new nominee has to be selected and registered with the Maine secretary of state by July 27. That's less than three weeks away. And keep in mind, more than 150,000 voters picked Platner as the Democratic nominee, and around 600 people will pick his replacement.
KELLY: NPR politics reporter Saige Miller, thank you.
MILLER: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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