Troy Jackson poised to replace Graham Platner as Democratic nominee in Maine Senate race

Troy Jackson speaks during a demonstration outside a federal immigration office after a man was fatally shot by ICE agents, on 14 July 2026 in Scarborough, Maine. Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Troy Jackson speaks during a demonstration outside a federal immigration office after a man was fatally shot by ICE agents, on 14 July 2026 in Scarborough, Maine. Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images Troy Jackson poised to replace Graham Platner as Democratic nominee in Maine Senate race Ex-Maine senate president is frontrunner to replace Platner, who ended his campaign after sexual assault allegations Troy Jackson – a logger, longtime legislator and former president of the Maine senate – is now poised to become the Democratic nominee in Maine’s US Senate race. His rise comes after the party’s previous nominee, Graham Platner, abruptly ended his campaign earlier this month following allegations of sexual assault from a former partner. Platner’s withdrawal set off a frantic scramble inside the Maine Democratic party. Several contenders filed paperwork to be considered at a 25 July special convention of 601 delegates tasked with selecting a new nominee. But over the weekend, Jackson’s serious challengers dropped out one after another, clearing a swift and unobstructed path for him. Jackson, who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this year, is now the presumptive choice. Among those who ended their bids was Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Maine’s second district. Two other candidates who also fell short in this year’s gubernatorial primary – former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah and current secretary of state Shenna Bellows – likewise ended their campaigns. Dan Kleban, founder of Maine Beer Company, who briefly ran in the Senate primary against Platner before withdrawing months ago, also announced he would not stay in the race. Wood, Shah and Kleban have all endorsed Jackson, stressing the stakes of flipping the seat held for nearly three decades by Republican Susan Collins – the only GOP senator running for re-election in a state Kamala Harris carried in 2024. “This fight is bigger than any one person,” Wood said in a social media video. “There is too much at stake in our country, our democracy – our state is depending on us.” Maine is crucial to Democrats’ effort to net the four seats required to retake control of the Senate in November’s midterms. Over the weekend, all 16 counties elected 500 delegates who will vote in Bangor on Saturday, with the remaining 101 delegates will come from the state party’s central committee. Jackson, now the progressive frontrunner, once campaigned alongside Platner and received his endorsement during his gubernatorial run, where he finished third, which raised concerns that Jackson might be tainted in the breakneck process to replace the disgraced former nominee. Questions have also lingered about Jackson’s public sp