Maine's US Senate race has been shaken up after Graham Platner dropped out, leaving Democrats searching for a candidate who can connect with working-class, inland, and rural voters.
One name stands out: Troy Jackson.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and union member from Fort Kent, has spent his life fighting for working people.
He led a union logging blockade in 1998 to prevent Canadian scabs from taking Maine jobs, putting him on the front lines of globalization's impact on rural communities.
As a former state legislator and longtime labor Democrat, Jackson embodies the New Deal tradition.
In 2016, he was one of the few Democratic superdelegates to support Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton, and he has consistently championed progressive economic policies.
Known affectionately as "Johnny Cash from Allagash," Jackson has fought multinational corporations and their government allies.
He speaks from experience about the humiliation of powerlessness and the loss of pride when big employers offshore work or close mills.
Maine is a working-class state, with only 36% of residents holding a college degree, concentrated mostly in coastal Portland.
In Jackson's rural St. John valley district, that figure drops to about 25%.
Despite the region's rightward drift, Jackson has won election after election since 2002, including a 2022 state senate victory with 52.5% of the vote—impressive in an area Donald Trump won by double digits in 2024.
Union Support and Grassroots Strength
Jackson's union ties run deep. He is a longtime member and has strong connections with the state's labor federation.
He won numerous union endorsements in his gubernatorial bid and would likely secure them again for a Senate run.
The Maine AFL-CIO is one of the few federations that runs member-to-member mobilization campaigns, a critical advantage in rural counties where Democratic ground organization is weak.
The primary campaign showed that a populist program resonates with voters. That same message could be key to winning the Senate seat and revitalizing the Democratic party.
While incumbent Susan Collins appears more formidable now than weeks ago, Democrats need a candidate who speaks to working-class, inland, and rural Mainers.
Troy Jackson fits that description.
