Maine Dems rally behind Platner's far-left platform in scramble to court his followers: 'Beyond furious'

By Fox News · Fox News

Democrats competing to replace disgraced Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner embraced key parts of his progressive platform during Thursday’s debate, including abolishing ICE, Medicare for all, economic populism and criticism of Israel. The debate showed that Platner’s withdrawal following a rape allegation he denies has not produced a corresponding break from the agenda that powered him to a landslide primary victory. Democrats now have eight days to select a replacement to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins. All the candidates vying to replace the now-disgraced Platner called for eliminating ICE during the debate, which was held three days after the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old father in Biddeford, Maine. "Nobody deserves to get shot and killed in the streets when their three-year-old daughter is still in her pajamas," said Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Nirav Shah, who was the runner-up in last month’s gubernatorial caucus, said: "I am beyond furious about the murder that happened in our streets." TRANSGENDER MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE SPARKS ONLINE FRENZY OVER RESPONSE TO DEBATE QUESTION: 'CAN'T BE SERIOUS' The Department of Homeland Security said the driver attempted to flee and that an officer fired while fearing for public safety. The shooting is being investigated by Maine’s attorney general, the FBI and the DHS inspector general. The man who was killed was not the target of the enforcement action, according to information provided to Maine lawmakers. Shah, who directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023 and later served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC, pointed to what he called "the president’s goons" and emphasized, "I don’t think this agency can be reformed. The rot has gone to the core and that’s why we must abolish it." Troy Jackson, a former Maine Senate president who also ran unsuccessfully for the gubernatorial nominat…