U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign launched a 48-hour survey of supporters Wednesday as a dispute intensified with Maine Democrat leaders over who will influence the selection of a potential replacement if he withdraws from the race.

The move came one day after Maine Democratic Party leaders said Platner's campaign would have "no role" in determining the party's next nominee should he step aside before Monday's withdrawal deadline, The Bangor Daily News reported. 

Campaign manager Ben Chin told supporters the campaign was seeking input after party leaders excluded it from the replacement process.

The survey asks supporters what message they want to send to the Maine Democratic Party and to Platner, with the campaign planning to collect responses over the next 48 hours before sharing them with party officials.

"If the Maine Democratic Party hopes to harness our movement, and avoid disillusioning the hundreds of thousands of supporters who came into the fray because of our movement's policies, it must consult the feedback and proposals of the people who built and sustained this," Chin wrote in a message to supporters.

The escalating disagreement comes as Democrats face key deadlines to replace Platner on the November ballot. Platner must withdraw by July 13 for the party to name a replacement by July 27.

According to CNN, Platner and campaign strategists were orchestrating his exit from the race Wednesday. Axios reported that a senior campaign staffer told officials Platner would speak publicly later in the day.

A Platner campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the survey or what it could signal about the candidate's future.

Spokespeople for the Maine Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Even as the public dispute played out, some of Platner's allies were working privately to bridge the divide.

State Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, said she began trying Wednesday to arrange discussions between Platner and Democrat leaders whom he trusts in hopes of creating what she described as a transparent process that could lead to his withdrawal.

"I am working behind the scenes to facilitate a conversation with Graham, people in the Democratic Party who he trusts, and for him to be able to express what he needs to be able to resign," Geiger said.

Geiger also criticized state party leaders for not publicly explaining how they intend to choose a replacement.

"The secrecy is absolutely unacceptable," she said, arguing that it is fueling distrust among Democratic voters.

The internal dispute follows allegations first reported by Politico that a Maine woman, Jenny Racicot, accused Platner of forcing her to have sex with him in 2021. Platner has denied the allegation.

After the report, the Maine Democratic Party, national Democratic organizations, and the party's candidates for statewide office called on Platner to withdraw from the race.