Former Maine Lawmaker Secures Democratic Senate Nomination

Troy Jackson, a former Maine lawmaker and fifth-generation logger, has emerged as the likely Democratic Senate nominee. His campaign reported Sunday that 481 of 601 delegates have committed to support him at the convention scheduled for Saturday in Bangor.

The system used to select a replacement has not been used before. Jackson’s rise followed the departure of the previous nominee less than two weeks ago after a sexual assault allegation that he denied.

By Sunday, top opponents including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah, former director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, had withdrawn. Jackson first ran for office as a Republican and supports Medicare for All and eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

““I’m grateful to Democrats across Maine for putting their faith in me and in what we’re fighting for. 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.””

The general election is roughly 100 days away.

Jackson must raise funds against an opponent who already holds millions and build a statewide network to reach independent voters. Nicholas Jacobs, a political scientist at Colby College, said Jackson’s progressive positions place him left of the median voter and will draw Republican attacks.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci called the process comparable to a prior party decision that sidelined primary voters. Jackson’s background in the logging industry and roots in northern Maine may help him appear more established than the previous nominee, Jacobs added.