Key facts
- Troy Jackson is poised to become the Democratic nominee for Maine's U.S. Senate seat.
- Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows withdrew from the race and urged party unity.
- Several other candidates, including Nirav Shah, Dan Kleban, and Jordan Wood, dropped out and endorsed Jackson.
- The previous nominee, Graham Platner, withdrew following a sexual assault allegation.
- The Maine Democratic Party will select a new candidate at a convention on July 25.
Troy Jackson has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine, following a wave of withdrawals from his rivals. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced her departure from the race Sunday, calling for Democrats to unify against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. Her withdrawal was quickly followed by endorsements of Jackson from Nirav Shah, former director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Dan Kleban and Jordan Wood. Jackson's campaign claims to have secured hundreds of delegates for the July 25 nominating convention. The Democratic Party has been seeking a new candidate after Platner, who won the primary, withdrew due to a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. Jackson, 58, previously served as president of the Maine Senate and unsuccessfully ran for governor earlier this year. The race is seen as crucial for Democrats aiming to challenge the Republican 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate.