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Good morning. Democrats face a daunting task as the party looks to reunite behind a replacement for Graham Platner. It could be worse — they could be trying to park in downtown Bar Harbor. Coastal reporter Sabrina Martin wanted to see how long it actually takes to park in Bar Harbor during the height of tourist season. Let’s just say, you could walk from the College of the Atlantic to downtown Bar Harbor more quickly than it takes to find a parking space.
Graham Platner is ending his Senate campaign and letting Democrats pick his replacement
When Graham Platner suspended his campaign Wednesday night, it was not with the contrition he has shown in the face of past allegations but with anger at seeing the movement that carried him to the nomination scuttled by an allegation he insists is false.
In a video posted to social media, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee framed Monday’s sexual assault allegation, which came to light a week before the final day that he could be replaced on the ballot, as evidence that entrenched political interests planned to take his campaign down at the last possible moment.
“This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,” he said. “We’re not doing it because of the allegations; we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”
Party officials had already started making plans to replace Platner, and on Wednesday, they approved a plan for a 600-person convention. It would be the first event of that scale used by Maine Democrats to replace a statewide nominee.
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From the Opinion Page
“Maine’s traditional transportation funding sources no longer keep pace with infrastructure needs.”
Opinion: DOT shortfall shows why Maine must change transportation funding
