Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson is rapidly consolidating support in the abbreviated contest to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee, setting the stage for a high-profile general election showdown against longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins. Delegates aligned with Jackson won the vast majority of the 319 slots selected on Saturday as Maine's 16 counties began two days of delegate selection for next weekend's nominating convention. Jackson's strong performance positions him as the frontrunner to secure the nomination and face Collins in what is expected to be a combative and expensive race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party over two decades ago, came in third place in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary last month. On Saturday, Jackson-aligned delegates captured more than 90% of the available slots, including all 149 in Cumberland County, Maine's most populous county and home to Portland, the state's largest city. In a video posted to social media on Saturday night, Jackson addressed supporters, saying, «We're well on our way to getting the government that we deserve. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.»
Jackson's surge follows the dramatic exit of Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer who had won the Democratic nomination in June but dropped out earlier this month amid an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the allegation but stepped aside following calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to leave the race. Jackson was among those who quickly urged Platner to end his bid, though he had previously campaigned alongside Platner and argued he was the best candidate to continue the progressive and populist agenda.
Jackson is running on a platform similar to Platner's, emphasizing progressive and populist policies aimed at working-class voters. He supports raising taxes on billionaires, a universal healthcare system known as «Medicare-for-all,» abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and opposes military aid to Israel at a time when Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America's longtime Middle East ally. Jackson has the backing of 'Our Revolution,' the group born out of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, and Sanders himself endorsed Jackson during his gubernatorial run.
Other candidates in the race to replace Platner have lagged far behind Jackson in delegate selection. Nirav Shah, a former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention who later served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC during the Biden administration, secured only a handful of delegates on Saturday. Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, who finished fourth in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, was even further behind, as was Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer for then-Representative Katie Porter of California who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate and the Democratic nomination in Maine's 2nd Congressional District this cycle.
Maine's eight remaining counties will select 181 delegates on Sunday. The 500 delegates chosen this weekend will join 101 automatic delegates from the Democratic State Committee. All 601 delegates will vote for the Senate nominee at next Saturday's convention in Bangor. The winner will face Collins in the general election, a race that is among a dozen nationwide expected to determine whether Democrats can reclaim the Senate majority. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage in the chamber.
Jackson's rise comes after a turbulent primary season. Platner, who was backed by Sanders soon after launching his bid last August, saw his campaign gain rapid momentum. Two-term Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who was heavily recruited by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate, suspended her campaign this spring after trailing Platner in fundraising and polls. However, Platner's campaign unraveled amid a series of scandals, culminating in the rape allegation that led to his withdrawal.
In a recent Our Revolution virtual town hall, Jackson addressed Platner's supporters, emphasizing the continuity of their movement. «This movement is always been bigger than one person. It's about taking on a system rigged against working people, fighting for 'Medicare-for-all,' strong unions, higher wages, reproductive freedom, and an economy where billionaires and corporations finally pay their fair share,» Jackson said. During the first debate among replacement candidates, Jackson highlighted Platner's focus on healthcare, stating, «That's the thing that I think Graham did the best: talked about fighting against the health care industry and the prescription drug industry to make sure that people in this state and this country have affordable, quality health care.»
The general election contest between Jackson and Collins is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, with national implications for the balance of power in Washington. Collins, a moderate Republican who has served in the Senate since 1997, has faced increasing Democratic opposition in recent cycles but has proven to be a resilient campaigner. Jackson's progressive platform and working-class appeal could energize the Democratic base, but he will need to broaden his support to compete in a state that has a history of electing independent-minded candidates.
