Former MSNBC host Joy Reid has ignited a fresh debate within the Democratic Party by telling Maine voters they have her «permission to not vote» if party leaders replace progressive Senate candidate Graham Platner with a more moderate alternative. Speaking on her podcast «The Joy Reid Show,» Reid criticized the Democratic establishment for potentially disregarding the will of primary voters who chose Platner, a progressive, in the June primary.
«You need to replace him with somebody who is ideologically the same because that is what was decided. The people of Maine, the Democratic voters of Maine said, ‘We want a progressive.’ They did not say they want an AIPAC moderate,» Reid said, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which she characterized as a force for centrist candidates. She added that if the Maine Democratic Party selects a candidate whose policies diverge from Platner’s progressive platform, voters should feel free to stay home on Election Day.
«If you don’t and the DNC shoves an AIPAC candidate down your throat, you have my permission to not vote for them because the Democratic Party needs to learn that it is not, ‘Vote blue no matter who.’ It matters who,» Reid said. She suggested that the party sometimes needs to lose elections to learn from its mistakes. «They sometimes need to lose in order to learn. Sometimes when you lose, you learn,» she said.
Reid’s comments come after Platner, a progressive who won the Democratic nomination for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat, suspended his campaign on Wednesday, just five days before a critical deadline that allows the party to replace him on the general election ballot. The Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to select a new nominee to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term. The party is now scrambling to find a replacement candidate, with just 18 days to make a decision.
Platner’s decision to withdraw followed a series of scandals that derailed his campaign. On Tuesday, Maine resident Jenny Racicot told CNN that Platner had «raped» her while the two were in a relationship, an allegation Platner has vehemently denied. In a statement to Politico, Platner said, «These allegations are troubling, serious and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.» The following day, The Washington Post published a second allegation from ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield, who accused Platner of removing condoms during sex and engaging in physical misconduct. The Platner campaign dismissed Fifield’s claims as «categorically false and politically motivated.»
In a video posted to X on Wednesday night, Platner insisted he was not suspending his campaign «because of allegations» but rather «because of structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.» His campaign, which had inspired progressive Democrats across the country, was described by the New York Times as «messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal.»
Reid’s remarks have highlighted the deep ideological divisions within the Democratic Party, particularly between its progressive and moderate wings. She warned that if party leaders select a «sellout moderate» to replace Platner, the decision could cost them the election. «If they put another AIPAC sellout moderate in place of Graham Platner, and they do not put somebody in who is his same ideology, you have my permission to stay your a-- home. Then they will learn when Susan Collins gets six more years,» Reid said. She added, «At this point, we have to teach Democrats. We need to instruct them and teach them how to treat us. It’s like being in a relationship. We gotta teach you how to treat your wife.»
The Maine Democratic Party now faces the challenge of selecting a replacement candidate who can unite the party’s factions and mount a credible challenge to Collins, a seasoned incumbent who has survived previous tough races. The party’s choice will be closely watched as a bellwether for the national Democratic strategy heading into the midterm elections. Reid’s call for voters to withhold their support if the party ignores progressive priorities underscores the ongoing tension between the party’s base and its leadership, a dynamic that could shape the outcome of the race and the broader political landscape.
