Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to have secured enough delegates to win the race to replace former candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee. Jackson is set to face longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, positioning him in a pivotal contest that could influence the Senate’s balance of power.
This past weekend, delegates aligned with Jackson won the majority of the 500 available slots during delegate selection events across Maine’s 16 counties. Jackson’s two main rivals for the nomination, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah, a former public health official, exited the race on Sunday.
In November, Mainers will defeat Susan Collins, and we will take back our Senate seat from the billionaires and corporations who think they own it,Jackson declared in a social media post.
Although delegates supporting Jackson are not bound to vote for him at the upcoming convention, he significantly advantages to clinch the nomination. The midterm election battle against Collins is anticipated to be both fiercely contested and expensive as Democrats attempt to regain Senate control; Republicans currently control the chamber with a 53-47 split.
On Saturday, Jackson’s supporters captured over 90% of the delegate slots, including all 149 in Cumberland County, Maine’s most populous area. His campaign aims to build a broad coalition against Collins in the upcoming election.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former conservative Republican, became a Democrat over two decades ago. He recently came third in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. He garnered significant support from progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Jackson’s platform mirrors the progressive and populist agenda of his predecessor, Platner.
Bellows stepped out of the race to focus on her duties as Secretary of State, emphasizing unity against Susan Collins. Shah, once affiliated with the CDC, echoed her sentiments.
No matter whom you supported in this race, I urge us all to remember that in the weeks ahead,Shah stated. Following this, he endorsed Jackson.
Jackson thanked his former rivals and called for unity among Democrats to win against Collins. His campaign focuses on increasing taxes on billionaires, supporting a universal healthcare system, abolishing ICE, and retracting military aid to Israel.
Jackson campaigned alongside Platner and has continued to promote a progressive platform despite the scandals surrounding Platner’s withdrawal. Platner left the race amid allegations of misconduct, which he denied, but heeded calls from top Democrats to step aside.
During the first candidate debate, Jackson praised Platner’s advocacy against the healthcare and prescription drug industries, identifying affordable healthcare as a central issue for Mainers.