Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has secured enough delegate support to become the Democratic Senate nominee, replacing withdrawn candidate Graham Platner in the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Jackson-aligned delegates won the vast majority of 500 slots during two days of county conventions held Saturday and Sunday. His top rivals, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health official Nirav Shah, exited the race on Sunday.
Jackson stated that in November, Mainers will defeat Collins and reclaim the Senate seat from billionaires and corporations. He is now positioned to secure the nomination at next weekend's convention in Bangor.
The contest will be among roughly a dozen nationwide elections determining whether Democrats can flip the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Collins faces a contentious and costly reelection battle.
A fifth-generation logger, Jackson was once a conservative Republican before switching parties two decades ago. He placed third in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Jackson's delegates won over 90% of available slots on Saturday, including all 149 in Cumberland County, the state's most populous. More than 450 of the 500 elected delegates backed his slate.
The 601 total delegates—500 elected plus 101 from the Democratic State Committee—will vote officially at Saturday's convention. Bellows cited her duties as secretary of state in withdrawing, while Shah urged party unity.
Two other candidates, former congressional staffer Jordan Wood and Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, also ended their campaigns Sunday. The field narrowed rapidly after Platner's departure.
Jackson runs on a progressive, populist platform focused on working-class voters. He supports higher taxes on billionaires, Medicare-for-all, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and opposes military aid to Israel.
Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer, had surged to the nomination with backing from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. He withdrew earlier this month following a report containing a rape allegation from a former partner, which he denied.
Jackson had campaigned alongside Platner and called him the best vessel for the progressive agenda before later urging him to exit. He has framed the movement as larger than any individual candidate.
At a recent debate, Jackson credited Platner with spotlighting fights against health care and pharmaceutical industries. He continues to emphasize affordable care, union strength, and economic fairness.
