Senator Susan Collins finds herself in unexpectedly competitive matchups against the three Democrats vying to replace disgraced candidate Graham Platner, according to a new poll that underscores how volatile Maine's Senate race has become.

The Z to A Research survey of 988 likely voters, conducted July 7 through 8, shows all three potential Democratic nominees running within the margin of error against the Republican incumbent. The poll was commissioned by a pro-Nirav Shah outside group as Democrats scramble to select a replacement before the July 27 deadline.

The Numbers

Former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah leads Collins 47 percent to 46 percent. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is tied with Collins at 47 percent each. State Senate President Troy Jackson trails Collins by a single point, receiving 47 percent to her 48 percent.

A separate flash poll conducted by Platner's own campaign found even more favorable numbers for Jackson, showing him leading Collins 49 percent to 44 percent with 7 percent of voters undecided. That internal data may influence which direction party leaders move in selecting a nominee.

Platner's Collapse

The tight polling comes after Platner suspended his campaign Tuesday following a rape accusation from a former girlfriend. The allegation was the final blow in a series of scandals that included a sexting controversy revealed by the New York Times, offensive Reddit posts, and what critics described as a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.

Despite winning the Democratic primary last month, Platner never recovered from the accumulating controversies. A Fox News poll from last week showed him deadlocked with Collins even as a majority of Maine voters said he lacked "good character" or the "right kind of moral values." Nearly half of respondents viewed him unfavorably.

Collins managed to capture 10 percent of voters who said they preferred Democrats to control the Senate, a remarkable crossover given the partisan climate.

The Democratic Scramble

Maine's Democratic Party held an emergency meeting Wednesday where more than a hundred state committee members authorized a nominating convention to select Platner's replacement. The party now faces a compressed timeline to unify behind a candidate while Republicans hammer Democrats for their initial support of Platner.

The Guardian reported that whoever Democrats choose "will need to walk a tightrope, harnessing the energy of the progressive movement while also winning back moderates and independents alienated by Platner's misogyny and his party's willingness to lower its standards to tolerate it."

Collins Still Vulnerable

The polling suggests Collins remains beatable despite Democrats' self-inflicted wounds. Her 96 percent voting record with Trump, along with her support for conservative judicial nominees, has made her a target for progressive activists since her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Before the Platner scandals fully erupted, a UMass Lowell poll in June showed the Democrat holding a slight lead over Collins in a general election matchup. That advantage has evaporated, but the race remains competitive.

For Collins, the question is whether she can close the deal against a Democratic Party in disarray. For Democrats, the challenge is finding a candidate who can reassemble a winning coalition in the four months remaining before Election Day.