Key facts
- Maine Democrats are expected to nominate Troy Jackson for the US Senate seat.
- Jackson will challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
- Jackson replaces Graham Platner, who withdrew from the race following sexual assault allegations.
- Jackson is a former president of the Maine senate and a fifth-generation logger.
- Collins has a substantial fundraising advantage over Jackson.
Democrats in Maine are set to nominate Troy Jackson, a lumberjack and former president of the Maine senate, as their candidate for the US Senate race. Jackson will challenge veteran Republican Senator Susan Collins, with the nomination coming less than four months before the midterm elections.
Jackson's candidacy follows the abrupt withdrawal of the primary winner, Graham Platner, due to allegations of sexual assault. Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from Aroostook County, has a progressive platform, advocating for policies such as Medicare for All and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His political views have evolved over time, having previously opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
Jackson first gained prominence in the late 1990s for leading a protest by Maine loggers against the employment of Canadian workers. He has served three terms in the Maine house of representatives and was elected to the state senate, where he served as president from 2018 to 2024. He also chaired Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential caucus campaign in Maine.
While Jackson is described as authentic and a champion of rural workers, some express anxiety about his less polished oratorical style compared to Platner. Collins, who has held the seat for three decades, begins the race with a significant financial advantage, having raised over $16 million, while Jackson's campaign has brought in just over $1 million. Collins has characterized Jackson as an ideological extremist and a 'Bernie bro', while Republicans have criticized the circumstances of his nomination.