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Lisa Lerer, a New York Times national political correspondent, explains how recent allegations against the Senate candidate Graham Platner and his subsequent withdrawal from Maine's primary race have reignited a longstanding conflict between the progressive and establishment wings of the Democratic Party.
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The state Democratic Party has said it will pick a replacement through a nominating convention before a July 27 deadline. Candidates are already lining up.
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Graham Platner is one of just a handful of candidates in recent decades who have withdrawn from a Senate race after securing a major party nomination.
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Graham Platner's bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended Wednesday, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal.
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Mr. Platner's withdrawal, which comes after a woman accused him of rape, creates deep uncertainty in a race that both parties see as crucial to their hopes of winning the Senate.
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Charles Dingman, chair of the Maine Democratic Party and a progressive, would play a key role in choosing the state's Democratic Senate candidate if Graham Platner leaves the race.
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