Democratic Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner’s team quietly fielded a poll Tuesday gauging the strength of people who could replace him on the ballot, as pressure mounts for him to drop out of the race.
The flash poll, obtained by POLITICO, was conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by Platner’s campaign, according to a person with knowledge of the survey who was granted anonymity to discuss it. It tested head-to-head matchups between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Platner, along with five possible Democratic replacements for Platner, including former Maine state Senate President Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
The poll was conducted one day after POLITICO reported that a woman who Platner dated said he forced her to have sex with him, which he has denied. The move comes after his campaign dramatically lost support and financial backing across the Democratic Party, and suggests that his campaign is weighing alternatives should he leave the race.
On Tuesday, Platner’s campaign also canceled all its planned fundraisers and took down online ads, further indicating that his candidacy is on the brink of collapse.
Additionally, Platner’s team contacted Maine Democratic Party officials to discuss the process for replacing the embattled candidate on the November ballot — a conversation that turned contentious.
Platner hasn’t appeared in public since the latest scandal erupted. He is expected to speak later Wednesday, though it’s not clear when and whether it will be to staff directly or public, and his campaign is surveying volunteers about next steps, according to one person familiar with the campaign’s internal conversations and a survey obtained by POLITICO.
Platner has denied the sexual assault allegation and said swiftly after the report published that he is “taking the time to reflect” on his candidacy. His campaign has canceled at least a half-dozen planned events that had been scheduled over the coming days, in addition to putting holds on its ads on Facebook and Instagram.
The Platner campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.