Maine Democrat Shenna Bellows drops out of race to replace Graham Platner

SANFORD, Maine — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ended her Senate campaign on Sunday, further clearing the path for rival Troy Jackson as he consolidates support in a fast-moving Democratic nomination contest.

"This has been an unprecedented nominating process, compressed into days instead of months, and I'm grateful to every volunteer who worked around the clock for this movement," Bellows said in a statement. "That energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November — and Democrats don't have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal."

Bellows was the most prominent woman to enter the breakneck contest, which has unfolded over the last week after Graham Platner ended his campaign following POLITICO’s report that a woman who used to date him accused him of sexual assault. He has denied the allegations.

Maine Democrats stood up a rapid nominating process, with county parties selecting delegates to go to a convention next weekend. It became quickly clear that Jackson, the former Maine Senate president who is aligned with organized labor and national progressives, was the frontrunner. On the first day of the local selection process, Jackson's volunteer operation dominated and won most of the slates.

The stakes in the nomination fight are high for Democrats: Collins is among the most vulnerable Republican senators up for reelection this November. But she has been a resilient campaigner for decades in blue-leaning Maine, and the Platner fiasco may cast a shadow over the general election.

Bellows was one of several Democrats, including Jackson, who ran for governor this year but lost the primary — and then jumped into the Senate contest after Platner dropped out. Her halting delivery during the Senate primary debate earlier this week and her struggle to stand out among the crowded field eventually led her to end her campaign.