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Maine state Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, a former nurse and former mayor, is attracting sudden national attention after saying embattled Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner encouraged her to consider taking his place on the ballot in Maine's Senate race if he drops out.
Geiger has not been named a replacement candidate and Platner has not formally withdrawn. However, her name entered the Maine Senate fight after she told local outlet WMTW that Platner called her Monday night, praised her as a “fighter” and asked if he could put his name forward. Platner's campaign told the outlet that it had not made an endorsement decision, but confirmed that it encouraged Geiger to consider running if he stepped aside.
After Geiger said Platner called her about putting her name forward, Geiger posted Tuesday that she would not “throw Graham under the bus,” and also said she would not “slander or accuse” Jenny Racicot, the woman who accused Platner of rape, “of anything other than telling the truth as she experienced it.”
On Wednesday, local media reported that Geiger said Platner had encouraged her to consider running if he dropped out. Platner has denied the allegation.
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Graham Platner (left) Maine State Representative Valli Geiger (right) (Maine State Legislature/Getty Images)
Geiger is a third-term Democratic state representative from Rockland, according to his official legislative biography, and represents a coastal House district in Maine that includes Rockland, Criehaven Township, Matinicus Isle Plantation, Muscle Ridge Islands, North Haven and part of Owls Head. His bio says he is on the Labor Committee and the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.
Before entering the state legislature, Geiger served six years on the Rockland City Council, including one year as mayor, and four years on the Rockland Comprehensive Planning Commission, three of them as chairman.
His bio says he has a master's degree in sustainable design and built his own house with passive solar and net zero energy. It also describes her as a former nurse at Pen Bay Medical Center who later worked as a health policy analyst and health administrator, including as director of the Healthreach Hospice program and clinical director of federally qualified health centers in Maine.
The Maine State Capitol is seen on May 18, 2026 in Augusta, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Geiger's connection to Platner predates the latest speculation about his replacement. Local reports have described her as a close supporter of Platner, and WMTW reported that she previously supported him and credited him with helping secure funding for rape kit tracking in Maine.
In his Facebook post responding to Racicot's accusation, Geiger wrote that Racicot's story “seems credible,” but added that “none of us know the truth nor will we ever know it.” He also described Platner as “a man who is becoming a better man” and said he hoped he would lead the political movement his campaign had built and not “throw Graham under the bus.”
In the post, Geiger also praised Platner's “passion for economic populism” and said he had given him “enormous grace” for his behavior during what he described as his “dark years” after multiple deployments.
Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during a news conference on COVID-19 at the Maine Emergency Management Agency in Augusta. (Staff photo by Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
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The Maine state representative is not the only Democrat whose name has come up as Maine Democrats prepare for the possibility of Platner dropping out of the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Several Democrats have expressed interest or are considering bids, including former gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah.
Under Maine law, if Platner formally withdraws as the Democratic candidate before 5 p.m. on July 13, the Maine Democratic Party can replace him on the general election ballot by selecting a new candidate through its partisan process, and the replacement must be chosen by July 27.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
