AUGUSTA, MAINE – The Secretary of State’s Office today confirmed that a formal notice has been received from U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner. A public declaration is not an official withdrawal, and a candidate must formally withdraw in writing to the Elections office, including signature
Because the candidate officially withdrew before 5 p.m. of the 2nd Monday in July (July 13, 2026), his name will not appear on the ballot, and his political party may replace him. The deadline for the party to name a replacement is the 4th Monday in July (July 27, 2026). Maine Statute does not address how a replacement candidate may be chosen by a party, only that the candidate filling the vacancy must be a “qualified person.” Announcements about how a replacement candidate will be chosen or when that candidate will be announced will come from the political party.
A list of candidate withdrawals and replacement candidate nominations for the November 3, 2026 General Election is posted on the Upcoming Elections page of the Secretary of State website.
Other candidate deadlines: The non-party candidate deadline to appear on the November General Election ballot passed on June 1, and list of non-party candidates can be found in the Upcoming Elections page of the Secretary of State website. Per Maine statute, to be considered a declared write-in candidate, a person must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the Secretary of State, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, on or before 5 p.m. on the 70th day (August 25, 2026) prior to the election. The candidate must meet all the other qualifications for that office.
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