The Maine Democratic Party has announced that it will select a new candidate at a convention in the next two weeks. Media reports indicate that hundreds of delegates will weigh in on the election.

The party will have to tread carefully in nominating a replacement aligned with the policies Platner successfully carried out, while ensuring the new candidate can take on Collins and his formidable operation.

“There is an unprecedented amount of energy and enthusiasm among Maine Democrats, fueled in part by many of the dedicated volunteers and supporters who were inspired by Graham Platners’ campaign,” the party said in a statement after Platner withdrew.

“We look forward to coming together and harnessing that energy around our new nominee as we work to defeat Susan Collins in November,” the statement said.

Platner said in his video announcement Wednesday that the process “must reflect the will and values ​​of the people who built this movement” in Maine, adding that “people in DC must stay in DC. Decisions should not be made in back rooms by people in places of political power.”

On Tuesday, Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon-Murphy Anderson accused Platner’s campaign of trying to put its “thumb on the scale of what this process is like.”

“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, nor in determining what this process will look like,” Anderson said.

In recent days, Senate hopefuls have openly expressed interest in replacing Platner on the ticket. On Wednesday, it seemed like every available Maine politician was aiming for the Senate.

Economist Nirav Shah, who ran for governor of Maine earlier this year, said he is considering running. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has said she is “still considering” and Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Company, who had suspended his initial Senate campaign last year, announced Wednesday: “I’m in.”

Another potential candidate, former state Sen. Troy Jackson, said he was exploring options.

Television actor Patrick Dempsey, who starred in the American medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, put to rest rumors about a possible offer on Wednesday in a newspaper op-ed.

“As I thought about all of this, I kept coming back to one question: Do I really want to serve in Congress?” he wrote. “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.”

Mills, Platner’s previous opponent in the Democratic primary and the state’s governor, had the backing of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, but she suspended her campaign before the election as she struggled to gain traction.

Platner officially won the Democratic nomination on June 9 as Maine voters, frustrated with the party establishment, gravitated toward his outsider persona and populist views. It was not immediately clear whether Mills would revive his campaign after Platner’s announcement.