The competitive Senate race in Maine has seen a significant shift as Democrats rally around former state Senate President Troy Jackson. This move comes just before the party’s nominating convention scheduled for Saturday.
After the recent nomination meetings held across Maine, several candidates have stepped back, showing strong support for Jackson. Notable withdrawals include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah. Both Bellows and Shah emphasized the need for a united front to challenge GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the upcoming election. “Democrats don’t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal,” Bellows expressed in a statement.
Jackson appears to have secured the nomination effectively. His endorsed candidates won the majority of the 601 delegate slots that will decide the nominee. Although these delegates are not legally obligated to vote for Jackson, they are anticipated to support him. In a Facebook video, Jackson credited his team, saying, “I’ve been getting text messages all day about what a great job I did, and I didn’t do a god damn thing. All of you just smoked it.”
Jackson, aged 58, has a long history in Maine politics, starting with his election to the Maine House of Representatives in 2002 and later serving as state Senate president from 2018 to 2024. Before announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, he pursued a gubernatorial bid but placed third in the Democratic primary. Known as the “pickup truck progressive,” Jackson aligns with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, having supported Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. Though Sanders and Graham Platner backed Jackson’s gubernatorial run, Platner has yet to endorse a candidate in the current Senate race.
Jackson’s policies resonate with progressive values. He advocates for Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, abolishing ICE, and he has criticized U.S. support for Israel’s military, describing Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide.
As Jackson’s campaign gains momentum, other candidates acknowledge the difficult path ahead. Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Company, noted the challenge after county meetings. “It had become clear from the county nominating meetings that we lack a path forward,” Kleban stated.
The Maine Democrats’ urgency to nominate a replacement for Platner, who exited the race due to sexual assault allegations, is driven by state law, requiring a nominee by July 27. Jackson’s connection with Platner was highlighted during the gubernatorial campaign, where he expressed support for Platner’s intent to bring change to Washington. Following the allegations against Platner, Jackson urged him to leave the race, stating, “He lied to me, he lied to a lot of us,” during a recent MSNOW interview.
Looking ahead, Jackson’s campaign focuses on defeating Senator Collins in November. Collins, the only Senate Republican seeking reelection in a state where Kamala Harris won in 2024, presents a critical opportunity for Democrats, albeit a tough one given her long-standing success in the Senate. With the current Senate composition, Democrats need to flip four seats to gain control, making Maine a critical piece of their strategy.