\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMaine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Sunday that she is withdrawing from the race to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.Bellows said she will instead focus exclusively on her responsibilities as secretary of state, citing what she described as “accelerating attacks” on democracy by President Donald Trump.\u201cThis has been an unprecedented nominating process, compressed into days instead of months, and I\u2019m grateful to every volunteer who worked around the clock for this movement,\u201d Bellows said in a statement.Her withdrawal comes as former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson’s preferred delegates won the overwhelming majority of available slots during the first day of county meetings Saturday. Delegates from Maine\u2019s remaining counties were being chosen Sunday.The Maine Democratic Party scheduled the county meetings as part of an expedited process to replace Graham Platner, who formally withdrew from the race amid allegations of sexual assault. A total of 601 voting members, including the 500 county delegates, are expected to attend the party\u2019s nominating convention July 25 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. State law requires Democrats to select a replacement nominee by July 27.Bellows did not endorse another candidate in her withdrawal announcement but urged Democrats to unite quickly behind their eventual nominee.\u201cThat energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November \u2014 and Democrats don\u2019t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal,\u201d Bellows said.Bellows previously challenged Collins for the U.S. Senate in 2014. Collins, a Republican seeking a sixth term, was unopposed in this year\u2019s primary. Maine\u2019s race is expected to play a significant role in the national battle for control of the Senate.Maine’s Total Coverage has a list of candidates that are still running for the Democratic Party’s nomination here.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tAUGUSTA, Maine \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Sunday that she is withdrawing from the race to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Bellows said she will instead focus exclusively on her responsibilities as secretary of state, citing what she described as “accelerating attacks” on democracy by President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been an unprecedented nominating process, compressed into days instead of months, and I\u2019m grateful to every volunteer who worked around the clock for this movement,\u201d Bellows said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Her withdrawal comes as former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson’s preferred delegates won the overwhelming majority<\/a> of available slots during the first day of county meetings Saturday. Delegates from Maine\u2019s remaining counties were being chosen Sunday.<\/a><\/p>\n The Maine Democratic Party scheduled the county meetings as part of an expedited process to replace Graham Platner, who formally withdrew from the race<\/a> amid allegations of sexual assault. <\/p>\n A total of 601 voting members, including the 500 county delegates, are expected to attend the party\u2019s nominating convention July 25<\/a> at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. State law requires Democrats to select a replacement nominee by July 27.<\/p>\n Bellows did not endorse another candidate in her withdrawal announcement but urged Democrats to unite quickly behind their eventual nominee.<\/p>\n \u201cThat energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November \u2014 and Democrats don\u2019t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal,\u201d Bellows said.<\/p>\n Bellows previously challenged Collins for the U.S. Senate in 2014. Collins, a Republican seeking a sixth term, was unopposed in this year\u2019s primary. Maine\u2019s race is expected to play a significant role in the national battle for control of the Senate.<\/p>\n