Eight Democratic candidates face off to replace Graham Platner

(NBC, KYMA) - Eight Democratic candidates in Maine faced off in back-to-back debates Thursday night as the race to replace Graham Platner on the general election ballot continues.

It was the first debate since Platner ended his campaign, which caused a rush to replace him on the ballot.

The back-to-back debates were split into two separate hours, focusing on four candidates at a time.

The first hour included Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah, and Jordan Wood, who received more than 20% of the vote in June, and the candidates of the second hour, David Costello, Dan Kleban, Elizabeth Dickerson and Ashley Webb, either didn't run in a race or received less than 20% of the vote.

The topics during the back-to-back debates ranged from healthcare, ICE reform, immigration, the Middle East, transgender rights and gun control.

All eight candidates embraced Platner's progressive policies during the debate.

The candidates have until the end of the day on Monday to qualify for a position on the ballot.