Democrats launch a mad dash to replace Graham Platner by a critical deadline

Campaign volunteers have been taping over old Platner signs to quickly repurpose them for new candidates.

FREEPORT, Maine — Democrats vying to replace Graham Platner as the party’s Senate nominee now have less than three weeks to make their case. There isn’t a minute to waste.

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The need to sprint was abundantly clear at a launch event here for Nirav Shah, who ran Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shah also ran — and lost — in last month’s Democratic primary for governor.

Volunteers were taking “Shah for Governor” stickers and cutting off the words “for Governor.” On his signs, they were taping over “Governor” and writing “Senate.”