“We firmly believe that the supporters and volunteers who built this movement deserve to have a real role in any nomination process,” Chen’s letter continued. “If the Maine Democratic Party hopes to harness our movement, and avoid disappointing the hundreds of thousands of supporters who have entered the fray over the politics of our movement, it must consult the feedback and suggestions of the people who built and supported this.”
The text included a link to a two-question poll asking Blatner volunteers, “What message do you have for the Democratic Party?” and “What message do you have for Graham?”
The message of defiance came as did Blatner’s campaign Planning is said The candidate’s exit from the US Senate race paves the way for a different Democratic candidate to face five-term Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November. Blatner has denied the sexual assault allegations that have led to mass calls for him to drop out of the race, including from his most prominent supporters like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Chen’s text message was distributed a day after Devon Murphy Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, made the statement in a message. video It was posted on social media that the party was “working around the clock” to develop a plan to replace Plattner that would be “open, inclusive, transparent and fair.” The party has not yet publicly specified what that plan might entail, saying Blattner must formally withdraw from the race first.
Murphy-Anderson accused Blattner’s team of “reaching out repeatedly.”[ing] “To the Democratic Party of Maine” in an attempt to put their thumbs down on the scale of what this process looks like.
“We have repeatedly emphasized to the Graham Blatner team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate,” Murphy-Anderson added.
In response to Murphy-Anderson’s statement, Blatner’s campaign denied that it had attempted to exert influence over the replacement process, saying that it had simply “reached out to the party to try to understand what this process would look like.”
“More than 150,000 Maine people voted for this movement, and more than 15,000 Maine people volunteered their time and energy to it,” said an unnamed Blatner campaign official. He said NBC News late Tuesday. “While Graham doesn’t want to be part of the process, he wants to make sure voters and volunteers make that decision — not the political establishment.”
On Wednesday, the Maine Democratic Party He issued a new statement Denouncing what he called “the false accusations leveled against us by the Blattner team” while also expressing his gratitude “to his supporters and all their efforts to defeat Suzanne Collins.”
“They are a vital part of our party and deserve to participate in an open process to select Blatner’s replacement,” Maine Democrats said.
CNN I mentioned He added that Blattner “is expected to announce his decision” regarding his candidacy “via a recorded video that may come later Wednesday.”
Blatner must withdraw from the race by July 13 if he is to be replaced on the November ballot. If he drops out of the race, a replacement must be chosen by July 27.
Politico reported that Blatner “quietly sent out a poll Tuesday to gauge the strength of people who could replace him on the ballot.”
“The quick poll, obtained by Politico, was conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Blatner campaign,” the newspaper reported. “It examined head-to-head confrontations between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Plattner, along with five potential Democratic replacements for Platner, including former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Sheena Bellows.”
“Among Democrats tested, Jackson performed best, leading Collins 49% to 44%, with 7% of voters still undecided,” Politico reported. The outlet also noted that the poll, conducted the day after Politico first reported the sexual assault allegation against Blatner, showed Blatner trailing Collins 47% to 42%.
Jackson has filed papers to consider a Senate bid in preparation for Plattner’s expected exit, and Bellows — who lost badly to Collins in 2014 — has filed. He said She said she would “seriously consider entering this race.” Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention She is also considering a Senate bid.
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