Graham Platner officially withdraws from Maine Senate race

Democrat Graham Platner filed paperwork Friday to officially remove his name from the ballot, ending his tumultuous bid to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Why it matters: Platner's exit ahead of the Monday deadline clears the way for Democrats to name a replacement candidate in a race that is critical to their effort to win a Senate majority in November. Platner's campaign posted a copy of the letter it sent to Maine's Secretary of State withdrawing from the race to X on Friday afternoon. "On June 9, 156,084 Mainers voted for a new kind of politics. One that is representative of people down here in the real world — not billionaires, oligarchs or the political establishment," he wrote, adding, "In submitting this letter today, I seek to further the movement we have built together and the future we believe in." Platner posted the news in a staff Signal chat, according to a source on the message chain, adding, "I just submitted this to the division of elections. Thank you all so much, this was the best thing I have done in my life. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love you all."Between the lines: Platner faced criticism from Democrats that he was dragging his feet after Axios reported he told staff he was planning to file Monday, the drop-dead deadline.The self-described oyster farmer has sought to influence the process to choose his replacement. On Wednesday, he said in a social media video that the protocol "needs to be driven not from back rooms, but by the will of the people.""My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine," Platner wrote. He concluded the letter with: "F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts."What's next: On Wednesday, shortly before Platner said he was suspending his campaign, the state party announced that it would hold a nominating convention to pick his replacement in the event of a vacancy. Several candidates have already jumped into the race.The convention is expected to include roughly 600 delegates, including 500 people chosen from county parties and 100 state committee members.Progressives worry that the process will be too insider-driven, while some moderates think it could empower activists on the left.Under state law, Platner had until Monday at 5 p.m. to drop out of the race in time for the party to replace him with a new nominee.Editor's note: This story has been updated with details from Platner's letter and other reporting.