Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic primary in June and was set to run for U.S. Senate against Republican Susan Collins. But on July 6, his ex-girlfriend made a public allegation that Platner was drunk and forced her to have sex after she told him to stop. Platner denied this. By early July, Maine Democrats were already working on plans to replace him as their nominee—even though Platner had not formally quit the race.

According to NPR, Democratic leaders in Maine started discussing potential replacements right away. News reports indicate that Nirav Shah, a former candidate for Maine governor, and Troy Jackson, a state legislator, are among those being considered. Jackson filed paperwork by July 7 to explore a Senate run.

Within days, the party pressure on Platner grew. Maine's Democratic Party publicly called for him to drop out on July 6. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of his biggest national backers, urged him to leave the race on July 7. Other Democrats pulled their endorsements. The Press Herald reported that Platner's political allies had mostly abandoned him.

Platner canceled scheduled town halls in two Maine communities around July 6, saying his campaign was thinking about "the best path forward." But as of July 8, he still had not officially withdrawn. His social media accounts remained active under his campaign name.

The situation now involves a clash over power. Maine Democrats say Platner's campaign has no role in choosing who replaces him. But NBC News reported that the Maine Democratic Party accused Platner of trying to interfere with the selection process. The Washington Post reported that Platner was resisting the party's plans.

Why this matters: Maine has one of the most competitive Senate races in the country this year. Democrats have been trying to defeat Collins, the Republican incumbent, for years. But now Democrats are spending time and energy fighting over how to replace their own nominee instead of preparing to take on Collins. The party needs to move quickly because of ballot deadlines and state rules that limit how fast they can swap candidates.