Westbrook, MAINE - Republican candidates for the Maine Senate could be bracing for electoral losses in November as a wave of 9 GOP Senate candidates opted to withdraw themselves from their races. The Republican withdrawals are in stark contrast to the Democrats—not a single Democratic Senate candidate chose to drop out of their race. With a full slate of competitive candidates, it’s clear that Maine Democrats have reason to be confident about their chances of retaking the majority in the State Senate.

“Seeing so many Republican candidates drop out of their races is a very clear sign that those folks weren’t confident about their chances in November,” said Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett. “The amount of enthusiasm we’ve seen from Democrats interested in running has been off the charts compared to past election cycles, and that’s reflected in the fact that Democrats are fielding competitive candidates in all 35 Senate districts—and those candidates are following through on their commitment to run, unlike what you’re seeing from Republicans.”

Maine Republicans have until July 23 to find a replacement candidate in each of the 9 races.

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