Troy Jackson turns race to replace Platner into a near-coronation
troy Jackson is poised to become the Democratic nominee for Maine’s U.S. Senate race, having secured overwhelming support from party delegates after rivals dropped out and his supporters gained key delegate wins. This narrows the contest in favor of Jackson,who is seen as a progressive candidate endorsed by groups like the Democratic Socialists of america and Senator Bernie Sanders. Jackson’s opponents, including Nirav Shah, Dan Kleban, and Jordan Wood, withdrew and endorsed him, emphasizing the need for party unity to defeat incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Despite past associations with Graham Platner, who faced allegations, Jackson has distanced himself and highlighted his grassroots support and anti-corporate stance. This consolidation sets the stage for Jackson to challenge Collins in the upcoming election.
Troy Jackson is all but certain to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee after rival candidates dropped out and his supporters swept delegate elections, effectively turning the party’s open nominating process for Maine Senate into a near-coronation.
Jackson has secured the support of a majority of the state party delegates who will choose Platner’s replacement on July 25, effectively locking up the nomination before the convention convenes and clearing a path to face Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in November.
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Unlike the rapid Democratic consolidation around then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, Maine Democrats opted for a delegate convention designed to give multiple candidates a chance to compete. County-level delegate elections, however, demonstrated Jackson’s organizational strength, with his supporters winning a majority of delegate seats before the convention.
Former health official Nirav Shah, beer brewer Dan Kleban, and former congressional candidate Jordan Wood dropped out of the race over the weekend and endorsed Jackson. The withdrawals underscored how quickly the contest had consolidated around Jackson, a former Maine Senate president who lost a primary challenge this year to Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME).
Each of the exiting candidates cited the need for Democrats to unite behind a single candidate to defeat Collins.
Shah, for example, warned that five-term incumbent Collins “will not be defeated without a united Democratic Party.”
Shenna Bellows, who serves as the state’s top elections official as Maine secretary of state, also withdrew but did not make an official endorsement. She said Democrats “don’t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal” of unseating Collins.
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The rapid consolidation came despite Jackson’s past ties to Platner, which have been a point of criticism in recent weeks. Jackson has distanced himself with statements and deleted social media posts after the sexual assault allegations against Platner arose from former girlfriends.
TROY JACKSON, AN ANTI-CORPORATE MAINE SENATE HOPEFUL, TOUTS ENDORSEMENTS FROM LOBBYISTS
Jackson is also among the most progressive and was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Maine chapter in his gubernatorial bid. Like Platner, he was also supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
“Our campaign has always been powered by ordinary Mainers — not corporate PACs or wealthy special interests, but neighbors organizing neighbors because they believe we deserve better,” Jackson posted Monday to social media. “In November, we are going to defeat Susan Collins and reclaim our Senate seat.”
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