Maine Democrats choose Troy Jackson for key US Senate race

Maine Democrats chose Troy Jackson as their new candidate for a key US Senate race after their original nominee withdrew under pressure over sexual misconduct allegations.

Delegates at a hastily organized nominating convention picked Jackson, a former state senate president, to run against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. Jackson wrote on X: "Thank you, Maine. In 101 days, we will defeat Susan Collins and reclaim our Senate seat. Let's get to work."

The nomination came just over two weeks after Graham Platner dropped out. Platner, a 41-year-old Marine veteran, oyster fisherman and political newcomer, had won the Democratic primary with an anti-establishment campaign that brought him national attention. He had already faced scandals, including one involving a Nazi-linked tattoo, before a former partner publicly accused him of rape. Platner strongly denied the allegation but left the race after demands from across the party and shortly before a legal deadline for replacing him.

Jackson, 58, has spent decades in Maine politics. He began in the state House and later became the top-ranked senator. He was nominated for the Senate race despite losing the Democratic primary for governor. A logger by trade, he grew up on the border with French-speaking Canada.

Top Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said in a statement that Jackson was a fifth-generation logger with a record of winning. They described him as a supporter of affordable health care and working people and said he was well placed to defeat Collins, whom they called more vulnerable than ever.

Media coverage has highlighted Jackson's past conservative positions, including opposition to abortion, which he has since walked back. Maine voted against President Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024, making the state one of the Democrats' main targets as they seek a majority in the narrowly divided US Senate.