Polling Graham Platner’s team conducted on the Maine Senate race before he suspended his campaign indicates there is a clear Democratic front-runner in the bid to oust Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

Platner dropped out of the race on Wednesday after his ex-girlfriend claimed he raped her. Before he made the announcement public, the embattled Democrat preemptively sponsored surveys of voters to see what they thought of potential replacements and determine who might have the best shot of defeating Collins.

Former state senator Troy Jackson performed best, with polling showing him winning by 5 points. Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) performed the worst, losing by 11 points. Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows would both tie with Collins, according to the poll. Former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood was projected to lose to Collins by nine points in the general election.

All of those potential Platner replacements have already launched a bid or expressed interest in doing so, except for Mills. The governor previously launched a Senate bid as the establishment favorite to win the race, but dropped out in April after Platner, the more progressive anti-establishment option, made significant gains.

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