Patrick Dempsey wrote in a recent op-ed for the Portland Press Herald that he “really thought” about running for Senate in Maine after Democratic candidate Graham Platner was accused of sexual assault. However, he ultimately decided to leave the job for someone more qualified.

“Over the past few days, I have been asked a question more than once: Would you ever run for the United States Senate?” Dempsey wrote. “It’s flattering and I don’t take it lightly. I love my home state of Maine. I care deeply about the people who live there and, like so many Americans, I’m concerned about the direction our country is taking.”

He later added: “After much thought, I realized the answer is no. Not because public service isn’t honorable, it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built.”

Dempsey said the next two weeks, during which Democrats will struggle to find a replacement candidate to take on incumbent Republican Susan Collins, will be a “very important time for Maine.” He hopes the new candidate “will offer a new approach to how we govern ourselves.”

Platner posted a video on social media Wednesday afternoon in which he announced plans to suspend his campaign operations. He said that his team “is not doing it because of the accusations,” but because of “the structures that those in power are taking away from us.”

He added: “We were asking for real democracy and we did it the right way and we won. But now the ball is in the court of the Democratic establishment. My name may be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. And on November 3, it must belong to the people of Maine. And the next Democratic senator from Maine must belong to the people of Maine. They must reflect the will and the values ​​of the people of this state.”