Toby McGrath speaks to CNN about Democrats' potential hunt for Platner replacement

July 8, 2026

CNN quoted Drummond Woodsum consultant and political strategist Toby McGrath this week in a piece analyzing possible paths forward for the Maine Democratic Party in the wake of the sexual assault allegation that has cast doubt on oysterman Graham Platner’s ability to win a pivotal Senate seat this fall.

McGrath, Leader of the firm’s Government Relations & Campaigns Practice Group, told CNN that the party could pursue a convention or caucus process to test support for potential candidates, including Troy Jackson and Shenna Bellows, two progressive-backed political veterans who came up short in their recent bids for governor.

“It really comes down to who has the best organization, and those two folks — Shenna Bellows and Troy Jackson — just ran and they actually have a grassroots following,” McGrath told the national outlet. “And if you can bring more people to a caucus, that’s how you win.”

If Platner drops out of the race by next Monday, the Maine Democratic Party will have until July 27 to name a replacement nominee to take on longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins. Others floated as potential candidates include Dan Kleban, the founder of Maine Beer Company, Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and State Sen. Joe Baldacci.

While Platner appears politically radioactive in the wake of this most recent scandal, McGrath said he could still play a role in uniting the Maine Democratic Party by convincing his supporters to fall in line behind whoever replaces him as the nominee.

“If, as Graham said, he’s creating a movement, I think his responsibility and his duty to that movement is to talk to those people and convince them to do what’s right for that movement,” he said.

With Maine’s Senate race in the national spotlight, major outlets continue to seek out the opinions of Drummond Woodsum’s political experts, a pattern that underscores the group’s sterling reputation around the state.

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