{"id":2638407,"date":"2026-07-31T18:08:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-democratic-senate-nominee-troy-jackson-fathered-two-children-with-his-second-cousin\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T18:17:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:17:20","slug":"report-democratic-senate-nominee-troy-jackson-fathered-two-children-with-his-second-cousin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-democratic-senate-nominee-troy-jackson-fathered-two-children-with-his-second-cousin\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Democratic Senate Nominee Troy Jackson Fathered Two Children with His Second Cousin"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-democratic-senate-nominee-troy-jackson-fathered-two-children-with-his-second-cousin%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2638407&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >article discusses recent challenges faced<\/a> by the Democratic Party in maine while selecting a senatorial candidate.The first candidate, Graham Platner, withdrew after scandals involving Nazi tattoos and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-one-in-six-biden-voters-would-have-changed-their-vote-if-they-had-known-about-scandals-suppressed-by-media\/\" title=\"Poll: One In Six Biden Voters Would Have Changed Their Vote If They Had Known About Scandals Suppressed By Media\">sexual assault allegations<\/a>. The second candidate, Troy Jackson, drew attention due to reports that his longtime partner and second cousin, Lana Pelletier, with whom he has two children, are related through their grandparents, making them second cousins. Despite the unusual nature of this relationship, second-cousin marriages are legal in Maine, and the genetic risks associated are significantly lower than those of first cousins. Notably, Jackson has been polling ahead of Republican Senator Susan Collins ahead of the upcoming midterms. The article covers the details of Jackson&#8217;s relationship, its historical and legal context, and its potential impact on the election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Party appears to be struggling to find a senatorial candidate in Maine who can avoid some truly unusual national headlines.<\/p>\n<p>First, ex-candidate Graham Platner stumbled through scandals involving everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/dem-congressman-finally-calls-graham-platners-nazi-tattoo-disqualifying\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nazi tattoos<\/a> to a very serious sexual assault allegation that saw many prominent Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/congressional-dems-pull-support-graham-platner-credible-rape-accusation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">denounce his candidacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This would all lead to Platner dropping out in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/graham-platner-drops-maine-senate-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">early July<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the second candidate from the Democratic Party to challenge GOP Sen. Susan Collins is also raising eyebrows, albeit for a completely different reason.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic senatorial candidate Troy Jackson has come under scrutiny after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themainewire.com\/2026\/07\/relative-attraction-troy-jacksons-longtime-lover-is-his-second-cousin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from The Maine Wire\u2019s Editor-in-Chief Steve Robinson claimed Jackson\u2019s high school sweetheart and \u201clongtime squeeze\u201d also happens to be his second cousin.<\/p>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/us-news\/maine-dem-sen-candidate-troy-jackson-has-2-kids-with-cousin-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a> put it: \u201cJackson, 58, and Lana Pelletier  two adult sons and the same great-grandparents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Robinson\u2019s report, those two great-grandparents are Thomas Pelletier and Edith Thibodeau. The daughter of Thomas and Edith would be Troy Jackson\u2019s grandmother, while their son would be Lana Pelletier\u2019s grandfather.<\/p>\n<p>That would make Jackson and Pelletier second cousins by blood, on the Pelletier side.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">RELATIVE ATTRACTION: We can confirm that Troy Jackson and his longtime partner are second cousins.<\/p>\n<p>They have two children together <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/L9i3ALy7Wt\">https:\/\/t.co\/L9i3ALy7Wt<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OvtA6PVOrC\">pic.twitter.com\/OvtA6PVOrC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheMaineWire\/status\/2082916015072072181?\">July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The report also said that Jackson and Pelletier have been together for the entirety of his political run, which now spans decades.<\/p>\n<p>(And according to Robinson, Jackson has also gone through quite an ideological transformation over the years, going from a \u201cpro-gun, pro-life, conservative working-class rabble-rouser\u201d to a \u201cpro-gun-control, pro-late-term-abortion socialist state Senate president.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, Robinson reported that Jackson and Pelletier have often referred to each other as husband and wife over the years, but claimed that the two have never actually been legally married.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLocals in the historically Catholic village of Allagash, however, are quick to set the record straight with the dry precision of people who have known both families \u2014 or just the one family, depending on your perspective \u2014 for generations: The couple is not, and has never been, legally married,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<p>That all being said, while certainly unusual, there does appear to be a massive difference between first-cousin and second-cousin relationships, both legally and biologically.<\/p>\n<p>Citing the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Journal of Genetic Counseling, Robinson wrote: \u201cFirst cousins  a pair of grandparents. They inherit, on average, about 12.5 percent of their DNA from the same recent ancestors. That d genetic material raises the risk of recessive genetic disorders in any children roughly twofold compared with the general population \u2014 from a baseline of about 2\u20133 percent for major birth defects to roughly 4\u20136 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The legality of such a union is also in favor of Jackson and Pelletier, at least in Maine.<\/p>\n<p>While Maine <em>generally <\/em>prohibits first-cousin unions (you can get a genetic counselor to sign off on a first-cousin relationship), there is no such law or restriction prohibiting second-cousin marriages in Maine.<\/p>\n<p>Given the lineage outlined by Robinson, it seems rather clear that Jackson and Pelletier would fall into the latter category of cousin-based marriages.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these headlines, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/general\/2026\/collins-vs-jackson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Real Clear Polling<\/a>, Jackson is polling ahead of Collins a few months before the November midterms.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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