A pseudo Senate primary has formed in Maine as Democrats wait on Graham Platner to potentially end his campaign in the face of an allegation of sexual assault. 

Platner, the Democratic nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall, has denied the accusation but said Monday that he was reassessing the future of his campaign. His top supporters have rescinded their endorsements and called on him to drop out of the race, while national Democratic groups have said they would not invest in the Maine race if Platner remains the nominee. 

Platner was reportedly expected to speak as soon as Wednesday.

But there appears to be tension between Platner’s camp and the Maine Democratic Party, which, under state law, would be tasked with replacing Platner on the ballot if he were to drop out by Monday at 5 p.m. Devon Murphy-Anderson, the Maine Democratic Party’s executive director, said in a video posted to social media Tuesday night that the state party was working to develop a process to replace Platner as the nominee.

“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” she said. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.”

Platner’s former supporters have said that any alternative candidate should reflect the movement that Platner sparked in Maine. Adam Green, a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said Wednesday on CBS News that Platner “would have been out of this race if it was not for the incompetence and arrogance of the Maine Democratic Party.”

“[Platner’s primary victory] was the voters saying we want a non-political insider as our nominee and the Maine Democratic Party should make clear this morning what the process will be,” Green said. “It is reasonable for Graham Platner, as his last act, even though nobody wants him around anymore, to say, ‘I’m willing to leave, just assure the public they will have a voice.’ And that has not happened yet.” 

Murphy-Anderson said in a separate statement Wednesday afternoon that the party “remains hyper focused on developing a representative, transparent and inclusive process to select a new nominee when he chooses to withdraw from the race.”

“While we may be frustrated with Graham Platner’s continued efforts to manipulate this process, we are so thankful for his supporters and all of their efforts to defeat Susan Collins – they are a vital part of our Party and deserve to participate in an open process to select Platner’s replacement,” she said.

Platner last month officially became the party’s nominee to challenge Collins, who has beaten back multiple Democratic efforts to unseat her over the years in the blue-leaning state. He easily defeated Gov. Janet Mills, who had the backing of the national party but had stopped actively campaigning in April amid fundraising struggles. 

Since entering the race last summer, Platner’s campaign withstood a series of negative news reports, including that he had a tattoo of a Nazi symbol on his chest, made a series of Reddit posts that were derogatory toward women and minorities, and had been in a series of emotionally volatile relationships 

But it wasn’t until Politico reported Monday that he once entered uninvited to a girlfriend’s house and allegedly forced her to have sex with him that Democrats en masse began abandoning his campaign. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Majority PAC, the top Senate Democratic super PAC, both said they would divert resources away from the Maine race if Platner remained on the ballot.

It wasn’t yet clear what the process for picking an alternative nominee would be, but potential candidates were already publicizing their plans by Wednesday afternoon. 

Dan Kleban, the Maine Beer Company founder who briefly ran for Senate last year before endorsing Mills, said Wednesday he would seek the nomination, assuming Platner dropped out.

“Over the next two weeks, we need an open, transparent process to select our nominee,” he said. “I’m ready to fight for Mainers and bring a new generation of leadership to Washington. I believe I can unite our party and finally defeat Susan Collins in November.”

He joins David Costello, who placed third in last month’s Senate primary and said Tuesday he was “back in, if Graham Platner withdraws.”

A trio of Democrats who unsuccessfully sought the party’s nomination for governor earlier this year are also considered potential options to replace Platner. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former state public health official Nirav Shah have all expressed interest in the Democratic Senate nomination should it open. 

Meanwhile, Maine state Rep. Valli Geiger reportedly said that Platner wants her to take his place on the ballot this fall.

And former Capitol Hill aide Jordan Wood and social worker Paige Loud, who both unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District this cycle, are also considered potential candidates, with Loud joining Jackson in filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission this week to potentially run for Senate.