John Kennedy Warns Democrats of Reckoning Over 2 Allegations Against Maine Candidate Graham Platner

Q: How does a political party replace a nominee facing serious allegations so close to an election?

A party usually can replace a troubled nominee only if that candidate formally withdraws by the state’s deadline; after that, state law and party rules control how a substitute is chosen. In the Maine case described here, Graham Platner would need to withdraw by the ballot-removal deadline for his name to come off the general-election ballot. If he did, the Maine Democratic Party would then have a short window — reported here as until July 27 — to make a replacement nomination. If he refused to withdraw, there is no ordinary party mechanism to force him off the ballot, which is why party leaders have focused on public pressure and threats to withhold support. Once a vacancy is created, the replacement is typically not chosen through a new statewide primary because there is too little time. Instead, state law usually lets the party fill the vacancy through an internal process such as a vote of its state committee, a special convention, or a delegate meeting. In Maine, the law appears to give the party broad discretion over the method, so long as it meets the filing deadline. The practical constraints are speed, ballot printing, and legitimacy. Parties try to move quickly enough to meet election-administration deadlines while also using a process that looks credible to voters. That is why officials often talk about an “open” or “inclusive” selection, even when the decision is ultimately made by party insiders rather than primary voters.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

John Kennedy said Democrats face a "reckoning" as Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner resists pressure to quit despite two sexual misconduct allegations.
A second accusation surfaced Tuesday when ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield said Platner removed condoms during sex after she told him to wear them; his campaign called that claim categorically false and politically motivated.
The new allegation followed a rape accusation by 41-year-old Jenny Racicot, adding to pressure in Platner's race against Republican incumbent Susan Collins.
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who had backed Platner, have now withdrawn support or urged him to end his campaign, widening the fallout beyond Maine.