Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to be on the verge of securing the Democratic nomination for the state's U.S. Senate race, having won the vast majority of delegate slots at county conventions held over the weekend. Jackson-aligned delegates captured more than 90% of the 319 slots available on Saturday, including all 149 in Cumberland County, the state's most populous.
Jackson is now in a strong position to face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election, a race expected to be highly contested and costly. The outcome of this and other Senate races nationwide will be critical in determining whether Democrats can regain the Senate majority; the Republican Party currently holds a 53-47 advantage.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger, previously served as Maine's Senate President. He transitioned to the Democratic party over two decades ago after being a conservative Republican. He finished third in the recent Democratic gubernatorial primary. His current Senate bid to replace ex-candidate Graham Platner has garnered support from progressive groups, including 'Our Revolution,' an organization founded from Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Sanders had also previously endorsed Jackson during his gubernatorial run.
Jackson's platform mirrors Platner's, focusing on a progressive and populist agenda for working-class voters. Key policy positions include increasing taxes on billionaires, advocating for a universal healthcare system similar to Medicare for All, supporting the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and opposing military aid to Israel.
Other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, including Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, secured only a small number of delegates. Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer, also garnered minimal delegate support.
Maine's remaining counties will select the remaining 181 delegates on Sunday. These delegates, along with 101 automatic delegates from the Democratic State Committee, will vote for the nominee at the convention in Bangor next Saturday.
Platner, who had gained traction with an oyster farmer and combat veteran background and support from Sen. Bernie Sanders, suspended his campaign earlier this month. His withdrawal followed an allegation of rape from a former partner, which Platner denied but led to calls for his resignation from prominent Maine Democrats. Jackson was among those who urged Platner to exit the race. Despite Platner's departure, Jackson has stated that the movement he represents is about more than one person and aims to challenge a system perceived as rigged against working people.