An informal Democratic polling survey tested whether actor Patrick Dempsey might seek the party's Senate nomination in Maine, a state where he maintains deep personal roots and property holdings. Early analysis suggested he possessed the name recognition and demographic appeal to potentially perform competitively against the incumbent.

Dempsey declined the opportunity after serious deliberation, announcing in a newspaper op-ed that his cancer support organisation—which he founded in his home state—offered a better platform for meaningful impact than political office. The decision leaves Maine's Democratic Party still searching for a viable nominee.