Maine's department of the secretary of state has confirmed that as of Thursday morning, no official withdrawal notice has been received from Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate who publicly declared he would exit the race.
Official Withdrawal Process
Jana Spaulding, Maine’s deputy secretary of state for communications, stated to the Guardian: “As of now, no official withdrawal notice has yet been received from Mr. Platner. A public declaration is not an official withdrawal, and a candidate must formally withdraw to the Elections office in writing, including signature.”
Spaulding added that the notice may be submitted via email, such as a scanned letter attached as a PDF, but it must include a signature to be considered valid.
Deadline for Replacement
Under Maine state law, for Democrats to finalize an alternative Senate nominee, Platner must officially withdraw by 13 July at 5pm ET. This would trigger a two-week window, until 5pm ET on 27 July, for the party to select a replacement candidate.
As of the latest update, no formal paperwork has been received, leaving the timeline uncertain for Democrats seeking a new nominee.
