Maine's Shenna Bellows joins frenzy to replace Platner

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on Thursday announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for Senate in Maine after Graham Platner suspended his campaign.

Bellows previously ran for the gubernatorial nomination, but was unsuccessful. Her primary claim to fame was her unsuccessful attempt to remove President Donald Trump from the 2024 election ballot, citing the Insurrection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

"I'm in.
The people of Maine have been building something real – a movement that deserves to go all the way to November," she posted on X. "I've spent my entire career taking on tough fights for working people, and I'm not stopping now. I'm running for United States Senate, and together we are going to defeat Susan Collins."

Bellows will join nearly all the unsuccessful candidates for the gubernatorial nod, including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and state Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah.

Platner plans to formally file the paperwork to withdraw on Monday. He suspended his campaign in the wake of a sexual assault allegation, though his campaign has faced a litany of other scandals.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.