He worries, however, that voters will find it difficult to unite behind a new candidate in just three months.

“What worries me most is that we govern someone and he or she loses, and then we spend the next four years pointing out whose fault it was,” he said.

In this year’s primaries across the country, Democrats regularly opted for outside congressional candidates who offered a vivid vision of what the party should stand for and promised to fight for their beliefs in the face of Republican resistance.

Platner was one of the first and most prominent examples of this trend. With his raspy voice, scruffy appearance, and working-class history, he gained a passionate following both in Maine and nationally.

He presented himself as a candidate who could advocate for liberal policies – such as universal healthcare, estate taxes and low-cost housing – in a way that would appeal to the kind of rural voters who have recently turned away from Democrats.

A victory in November would have given Democratic progressives a chance to see labor liberalism triumph in battleground states like Maine.

And that, in turn, could have become a compelling argument for nominating a left-wing presidential candidate in 2028.

Now, that opportunity has likely been wasted.

The fact that Platner survived the series of scandals for so long was partly a testament to Democrats’ hunger for a different kind of candidate. However, he also highlighted the risks of opting for charismatic political neophytes who have not received close scrutiny before running for higher office.

With Platner’s departure, a handful of more traditional candidates are already expressing interest in stepping in, including a handful who ran unsuccessfully for governor and one of the state’s Open House seats last month. They have recent campaign experience and some name recognition.

Troy Jackson, former Maine Senate leader, campaigned alongside Platner during his gubernatorial bid and came in third.

Nirav Shah, a state epidemiologist who rose to prominence through regular public appearances during the Covid pandemic, finished in second place.

Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state, is known for her lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s attempts to gain access to state voter data. She was the party’s nominee in 2014, but was soundly defeated by Collins.

According to Melcher, many Platner supporters will be greatly affected by the connection they have made with their unconventional candidate. However, he believes they will ultimately back his replacement because of how much is at stake in this race.

Many Maine Democrats supported Platner with some reluctance because of his past scandals, he added, and this latest turn could end up being a blessing in disguise for the party.

“If they play their cards right, I think they’ll be fine and, with some voters, even better than they would have been before,” he said, “as long as the party doesn’t handle this in a way that they consider disrespectful or a cabal taking over things.”

However, time is ticking and Collins awaits whoever emerges from whatever process the Democrats ultimately follow. She has proven to be a formidable opponent for Democrats for 30 years, most recently defeating a better-funded opponent in 2020 even though polls showed her trailing until Election Day.

“It wasn’t going to be easy before and now it’s hard,” Melcher said. “Beating Collins was always going to be difficult.”