Troy Jackson emerges as likely Senate pick for Maine Democrats

By — Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/troy-jackson-emerges-as-likely-senate-pick-for-maine-democrats Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Troy Jackson emerges as likely Senate pick for Maine Democrats Politics Jul 20, 2026 2:00 PM EDT Troy Jackson, a former Maine lawmaker and fifth-generation logger from the North Maine Woods, has emerged as the likely new replacement for the state's Democratic Senate nominee after former candidate Graham Platner quit the high-stakes race less than two weeks ago. Platner's departure followed a sexual assault allegation that he denied but forced his exit anyway. It sparked a wave of potential candidates eager to prove to Mainers that they could take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. But by Sunday, the field had largely been cleared after Jackson supporters spent the weekend securing hundreds of delegates who promised to back him at the upcoming state convention. Under a never-before-used system to replace Platner, delegates will vote Saturday in Bangor on a new Senate nominee. Out of the 601 delegates who will gather this weekend, Jackson's campaign says they have 481 delegates committed to supporting him. Top opponents — ranging from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to Nirav Shah, former director of Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention — have since dropped out, while Jackson announced Monday that he was focusing his attention on ousting Collins. "I'm grateful to Democrats across Maine for putting their faith in me and in what we're fighting for," Jackson said in a statement. "This didn't happen because of one person. It happened because hundreds of volunteers put in the hours, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and believed we could build something bigger than ourselves." There are challenges ahead for Jackson in a race with Collins Yet securing the nomination is only just the beginning of challenges facing Jackson. There's little more than 100 days until the general election, meaning Jackson faces an uphill battle raising campaign funds when Collins already has millions. Jackson also must implement a statewide campaign network and woo over the state's large independent base. As former state Senate president, Jackson may be more politically vetted than Platner was running as a first-time candidate, but the logger's backing of progressive policies will leave him open to plenty of attacks by Republicans, said Nicholas Jacobs, a political scientist at Colby College in Maine. "The guy does have some pretty interesting positions," Jacobs said. "Positions that are pretty far to the left of the median voter." READ MORE: Maine Democrats criticize GOP Sen. Susan Collins after fatal ICE shooting of motorist in the state Jackson supports 'Medicare for All' and eliminating ICE Like Platner, Jackson has said he wants to "get rid of" Immigration and