Troy Jackson, a former state legislator and Maine Senate president, is set to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine. Platner, who had won the Democratic primary, withdrew from the race in July 2026 after multiple women accused him of misconduct, including sexual assault, which he denied. Jackson, aged 58 and a former logger, unsuccessfully ran for governor earlier this year with Platner's backing. To secure the nomination, Jackson has been actively deleting past social media posts that showed support for Platner, including an endorsement and a video where Platner praised Jackson.
Jackson’s path to the nomination solidified as key rivals, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah, dropped out of the race and endorsed him. This exodus of opponents, coupled with Jackson securing over 90 percent of delegates by July 19, cleared his path for the July 25 nominating convention in Bangor. Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by Senator Bernie Sanders that had initially supported Platner, shifted its endorsement to Jackson, further strengthening his position. Jackson's campaign focused on quickly accumulating delegates, successfully securing 456 out of 500 elected delegate slots.
Jackson now faces the challenge of unifying the Democratic party and distancing himself from Platner’s controversial exit, as some Maine Democrats expressed anger over Platner’s campaign allegedly attempting to influence the selection of his replacement. Jackson's spokesperson, Christine Kirby, stated that Jackson had rescinded his endorsement of Platner to make his stance clear. His evolution in political views, from more conservative earlier in his career to a progressive stance, is also noted. He will officially be selected as the nominee at the July 25 convention and will then face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November general election.
