Platner controversies fuel speculation about little-known Maine ballot replacement provisionhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/graham-platner-controversies-fuel-speculation-little-known-maine-ballot-replacement-provisionAs controversy surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner continues to mount, attention is turning to a little-known provision of Maine law that could allow Democrats to replace him on the general election ballot after the primary.
The question has taken on new significance because Maine election law provides a mechanism for replacing a nominee who withdraws after winning a primary.
Under Maine law, a candidate who wins the June 9 primary and subsequently withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13 may be replaced by a nominee selected by party officials. Any replacement candidate must be chosen no later than 5 p.m. on July 27. The timeline would give Democrats just 14 days to settle on a replacement candidate and prepare for the general election campaign.
While there is no public indication that Democrats are pursuing such a strategy, the provision has fueled speculation about what options the party would have if concerns about Platner's candidacy continue to grow.
This article is speculating, of course. What
might/could happen is that after Platner wins the Dem primary, some Dem Party may "persuade" Platner that there is no way in Hades he can win, that he will get no $$$$ support, so he should withdraw. IOW, this could be a damage-control bait-and-switch whereby RINO Collins expended $$$$ prepping her campaign against Platner and then has the rug pulled, forcing her to start over.