Nearly 4,000 Democratic activists are vying to be elected as one of 500 delegates to an unprecedented statewide convention to help choose a new nominee to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins this fall.

And on Thursday, the party released a delegate guide that gave the first indication about which candidates the bite-sized electorate is leaning toward. The nearly 1,200-page document includes a brief description from each potential delegate about their approach and preferred candidate — if they have one.

Unsurprisingly, the three former Democratic candidates for governor who just ran statewide campaigns seem to have the most support heading into the delegate selection process.

A basic word search of each candidate’s full name shows former Senate President Troy Jackson, a former logger from Allagash, was mentioned most often by those applying to be delegates. His full name shows up 418 times, with most saying they plan to support him.

Behind him is Nirav Shah, a former public health official who is mentioned 111 times, though several potential delegates include him as second or third choice. And Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is mentioned 85 times.

Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who ran in the 2nd Congressional District race, is mentioned only three times, while David Costello, a former government employee from Brunswick who lost the June 9 primary to Graham Platner, and Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Co., are not mentioned at all.

Most potential delegates did not name any specific Democrat — a sign the campaigns will have to work to earn a majority of votes. But potential delegates appear united in the desire to beat Collins — whose name is mentioned 2,429 times.

Even if they are leaning toward a particular candidate, the potential delegates’ stated preferences will mean little if they aren’t chosen by their peers to appear at the July 25 convention in Bangor.

Democratic committees in Maine’s 16 counties will meet this weekend to elect delegates to that statewide nominating convention. On Friday, the party announced that more than 11,000 Democrats have preregistered to vote for delegates.

At the convention, delegates are not legally bound to support any specific candidate during the nomination process, which could include several rounds of voting. Nevertheless, the Democratic candidates have been campaigning to stack the convention with their supporters to give them a better chance of winning the nomination.

Twelve candidates, including several political newcomers, have filed paperwork to run for the Senate. But each candidate must secure between 500 and 1,000 signatures from registered Democrats from at least eight counties by 5 p.m. Monday to be eligible for the statewide convention.

Democrats are seeking a new nominee because Platner dropped out last week after he was accused of sexual assault — an accusation he denies. And so far, candidates have been jockeying to be the next leader of the progressive movement he harnessed.

Maine law gives the party broad latitude to choose a replacement nominee, but it must do so by July 27.

The Maine Democratic Party has said that the two weeks Platner left them to find a replacement is not enough time to hold a new primary, so it put together an ambitious plan to include as many voices as possible in picking a new nominee.

The nominee will be elected at a statewide nominating convention by 601 people, including the state’s 101-member state committee. The other 500 delegates, who will be elected this weekend, were allocated to each county based on the turnout in the 2024 presidential primary.

Cumberland County received the most delegates, followed by York, Penobscot and Kennebec counties. Together, those four counties will send 317 delegates to the convention.

More than 1,300 people are vying to be one of Cumberland County’s 149 delegates, and roughly 2,700 Democrats have preregistered to vote, the committee said in a Facebook post Thursday night.

Some of those candidates are actively campaigning on social media.

Among them is Sean Flaherty, a 41-year-old lawyer and former state lawmaker from Scarborough.

Flaherty, who has previously served as a delegate to the party’s biennial state conventions, said in an interview that disclosing his preference for Jackson was the most honest and transparent approach.

“I think it’s important in this unique process for people who want to be a delegate to at least say who their first choice is,” Flaherty said. “They don’t need to have one, but if they have one, I think that’s fair. I think that’s honest. I think that’s open.”

But Alesha Coffin disagrees. The 35-year-old Brunswick resident said she’s running as an uncommitted delegate because several of the candidates were either running for governor or Congress just a few weeks ago.

“They’re running for a different job now and that requires a different outlook and evaluation process,” Coffin said.

Since Platner dropped out, several candidates who just lost Democratic primaries for other offices have positioned themselves as the heir to the 41-year-old oyster farmer’s populist message and focus on lifting up the working class.

They include the former gubernatorial candidates Shah, Jackson and Bellows, and the former congressional candidate, Wood.

Coffin said she values authenticity in a candidate — something that can only be gleaned by listening to them. Each qualified candidate is set to speak at the nominating convention.

Delegates and the general public will get at least two chances to hear from the candidates before then. News Center Maine held a debate on Thursday, and CNN is partnering with the Bangor Daily News for a debate next Thursday. Advocacy groups are also holding candidate forums in the meantime.

Coffin noted that more than 150,000 Democrats overwhelmingly endorsed “a bold, progressive platform” in the primary by voting for Platner. Whoever replaces Platner needs to genuinely believe in and support those same policy positions, she said.

“I’m just looking forward to keeping that voice strong and not … falling back on the norms of just putting forth an average Democrat that’s not going to make waves,” she said. “I’m ready to make waves. I think we need waves to be made.”

But it’s unclear how many of the potential delegates share that view. The word progressive appears 731 times in the roughly 4,000 candidate narratives.

Not everyone is happy with the party’s process for picking a new candidate.

Paige Loud, a social worker who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in June, withdrew from the Senate race Thursday, calling it “a deeply unserious spectacle” in which candidates “must play a political chess match to strategically pack” the convention with pledged delegates.

“This is not a game I’m willing to play,” Loud said in a letter posted online.