Troy Jackson is on track to become Maine's Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate after rivals abruptly cleared the field over the weekend, leaving the longtime legislator as the overwhelming frontrunner at a special convention set for Saturday.
Jackson, a logger and former president of the Maine Senate, emerged as the presumptive choice after Graham Platner, the party's original nominee, abandoned his campaign following sexual assault allegations from a former partner. That withdrawal triggered a scramble for a replacement among the state's Democratic establishment.
Several candidates had initially filed to be considered at the July 25 convention, where 601 delegates will select a new nominee. But over the weekend, Jackson's serious challengers one by one announced they were dropping out. Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer, stepped aside. So did Nirav Shah, the former Maine CDC director, and Shenna Bellows, the current secretary of state. Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Company, also exited the race. All four endorsed Jackson publicly.
Wood released a video emphasizing the larger stakes: "This fight is bigger than any one person. There is too much at stake in our country, our democracy, our state is depending on us." The seat has been held for nearly three decades by Republican Susan Collins, the only GOP senator seeking re-election in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024.
Jackson's path to the nomination narrowed further as county conventions across Maine's 16 counties elected 500 delegates to attend Saturday's vote in Bangor. The remaining 101 delegates come from the state Democratic Party's central committee. According to Jackson's campaign, a majority of the 601 delegates have already pledged to support him, though those commitments carry no legal weight.
His consolidation of support came swiftly. Major unions, state Democrats, and national progressive groups rallied behind him. "Those delegates were not handed to us," Jackson said at an event in Sanford. "We earned them because hundreds and hundreds of people organized their neighbors, made the calls, had the conversations."
Jackson, 58, first entered the legislature in 2002 and served as senate president starting in 2018 before leaving office this year due to term limits. He had previously competed for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, where he finished third and received an endorsement from Platner. That connection raised some concerns about whether Jackson might carry reputational baggage into a high-stakes replacement process.
Questions also surfaced about whether Jackson possessed the public speaking prowess and commanding presence that helped Platner build a statewide following for his populist message. Jackson told Politico on Sunday that he found it "incredible" to witness grassroots momentum building behind his bid.
Maine looms large in Democrats' strategy to reclaim control of the Senate, which requires flipping four seats in November. The state has become a key battleground. Jackson's campaign said Monday it was pivoting entirely toward the challenge of defeating Collins in the general election.
State Democrats must formally select Platner's replacement by July 27 to place the nominee on the general election ballot.
Author James Rodriguez: "Jackson's unlikely sprint to the nomination shows how quickly party machinery can consolidate around a safer choice when things blow up, but whether a third-place gubernatorial finisher can actually beat Susan Collins is an entirely different question."
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