With Graham Platner out of the running for Maine Senator, the Maine Democratic Party has set its convention date to select its next U.S. Senate nominee for July 25 at the Cross Auditorium, in Bangor, beginning at 9 a.m.

There, 601 delegates will vote for the new nominee who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as the Democratic candidate to compete with Republication Senate incumbent Susan Collins.

"We have worked hard to create a process that is inclusive of varying viewpoints and diverse backgrounds of Democrats across the state of Maine," wrote the Democratic Party Friday, July 10, at its website. "The convention will be fair, representative, and as transparent as possible as we all come together in service of our ultimate goal: defeat Susan Collins and win this Senate seat."

At the July 25 Nominating Convention, each qualifying candidate will have time to address delegates prior to voting. Voting will be conducted in rounds until one candidate reaches a majority. The five candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the first round will advance to the second round. Each subsequent round will eliminate the lowest vote-getter until one candidate is chosen.

According to the New York Times July 11, those hoping to be the nominee are Troy Jackson, president of the State Senate from 2018 to 2024; Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State; Jordan Wood, who ran in the June 9 Democratic primary for Maine's Second Congressional  District seat; Paige Loud, a social worker, who also ran in the June 9 Democratic primary for Maine's Second Congressional  District seat; Dan Kleban, owner of the Maine Beer Company; and David Costello, who ran in the June 9 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

The 601 delegates will represent the 16 Maine counties. Of the delegates, 101 will be members of the Democratic State Committee, who have been duly elected by Maine voters. The remaining 500 will be delegates appointed from each county, the state Democratic Party said.

According to the Democratic Party, county committee chairs are to convene a nominating meeting at which all Democrats registered in each county as of June 9 can participate and cast their vote for the delegates they want to represent them at the July 25 convention. Only registered democrats can vote in special nominating meetings and participate as convention delegates.

To be eligible to be a candidate, those interested must be registered as Democrat voters, must file a written Declaration of Intent to Seek the Democratic Nomination with the Chair of the Maine Democratic Party, and must collect 500 nominating signatures from individuals who were registered Democratic voters in Maine as of the June 9, 2026 Maine Democratic Primary election. 

Each county will be apportioned one third the amount of delegates it received at the 2026 state convention. The 2026 delegate apportionments were assigned based on the turnout of the 2024 primary.

The County Delegate Nomination Meetings are to be held July 18 or 19, virtually or in-person, at the determination of the county chair and in consultation with the MDP . Those decisions are to be made by the county chair no later than Tuesday, July 14, at 5 p.m.

The Maine Democratic Party will announce the date, time, and location of each County Delegate Nomination Meeting by Wednesday, July 15. Participants in each County Delegate Nomination Meeting may pre-register with the MDP by 5 p.m. July 16 through the MDP website. 

Knox County Democratic Committee has not yet announced its next meeting, nor has the Lincoln County Democratic Committee. The Waldo County Democratic Committee meets July 12, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Belfast Free Library. It is a hybrid meeting and a Zoom option is available.