But she worries it will be difficult for voters to rally around a new candidate after just three months.
“What worries me the most is that if we run someone, they lose, and we spend the next four years blaming that person for their mistakes,” she said.
In primary races across the country this year, Democrats have regularly chosen outside congressional candidates who offer a vivid vision of what the party should stand for and promise to fight for their beliefs against Republican resistance.
Platner was one of the earliest and most prominent examples of this trend. With his raspy voice, scruffy looks and working-class backstory, he won a passionate following in Maine and across the country.
He presented himself as a candidate who could champion liberal policies like universal health care, a wealth tax and low-cost housing in a way that appealed to rural voters who have recently turned away from the Democratic Party.
Recent polls show Platner with a narrow lead., external Than Collins, who has been a Maine senator since 1997.
A win in November would have given Democratic progressives a chance to see blue-collar liberals win in battleground states like Maine.
And this could end up being a persuasive argument for nominating a left-wing presidential candidate in 2028.
Now that opportunity is likely to fall apart.
That Platner survived a series of scandals was partly a testament to the Democratic Party’s thirst for a different kind of candidate. But it also highlighted the risks of selecting charismatic political newcomers who have not been scrutinized before running for high office.
A group of more traditional candidates have already expressed interest in participating, including a few who lost their bid for governor in the wake of Platner’s resignation and one of the state’s open House seats last month. They have recent campaign experience and some level of recognition.
Troy Jackson, a former Maine senator, campaigned with Platner during his run for governor and placed third.
State epidemiologist Nirav Shah, who rose to prominence through regular public appearances during the Covid pandemic, came a close second.
Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows famously filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s attempts to access the state’s voter data. She was the party’s candidate in 2014 but lost heavily to Collins.
According to Melcher, many Platner supporters will be hit hard by his association with the non-traditional candidate. But he believes they will ultimately support his replacement because the stakes are high in this race.
Many Maine Democrats have supported Planner with some reluctance because of past scandals, he said, adding that this latest change may end up being a blessing in disguise for the party.
“If they play their cards right, I think it will be OK and for some voters it will be a lot better than it was before,” he said. “Unless the party handles this in a rude or cabal-dominated manner.”
But the clock is ticking, and Collins is waiting to see who emerges from the process that Democrats ultimately follow. She has proven to be a formidable foe for the Democratic Party for three decades, most recently defeating a better-funded opponent in 2020 despite polls showing her trailing by Election Day.
“I don’t think it was easy before, but it’s difficult now,” Melcher said. “It’s always going to be difficult to beat Collins.”
