Maine Democrats have selected former state Senate President Troy Jackson as their nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the upcoming Senate election. The selection occurred at a special nominating convention in Bangor on Saturday.
Jackson, 58, secured the nomination after his opponents withdrew from the race, following widespread delegate support. His path to the nomination began after the previous nominee, Graham Platner, stepped down on July 10. Platner withdrew after Jenny Racicot publicly accused him of rape in 2021, an allegation Platner denies.
State law provided a deadline of July 27 for the Democratic Party to name a replacement nominee. Jackson had been considered a frontrunner due to his populist political style. A former logger and long-time union member, Jackson has previously finished third in the Maine gubernatorial race with an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Jackson's political history includes socially conservative stances on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, even after he switched to the Democratic Party in 2004. He is also known for past instances of anger, including an alleged incident where he reportedly threw a water bottle at a female colleague while serving as state Senate president. His campaign has stated that Jackson takes responsibility and apologizes for past frustrations, while disputing the intent behind the water bottle incident.
The Maine Senate race is considered pivotal in determining which party will control the Senate. The Cook Political Report rates the contest as a "toss up," and polling prior to Platner's withdrawal indicated a close race between him and Collins.