Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has secured the Democratic nomination for the US Senate following the abrupt withdrawal of Graham Platner, who ended his campaign earlier this month after facing sexual assault allegations from a former partner.
Platner's exit prompted a swift contest within the Maine Democratic Party ahead of a special convention scheduled for July 25, where 601 delegates will formally select the new nominee.
Several primary rivals withdrew over the weekend to endorse Jackson, including former congressional staffer Jordan Wood, former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah, and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban also confirmed he would not rejoin the race, consolidating backing for Jackson across party factions.
The endorsements consolidate Democratic backing in a key race as the party aims to gain four seats to regain control of the Senate during the upcoming midterms.
Democrats are targeting the seat currently held by Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has represented Maine for nearly three decades and remains the only GOP senator running for re-election in a state won by Kamala Harris in 2024.
Over the weekend, local caucuses elected 500 delegates from 16 counties to cast ballots in Bangor, while the remaining 101 delegate votes belong to the state party central committee.
Jackson previously placed third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this year and had shared campaign stops with Platner, raising questions about potential political fallout during the succession process.
Despite concerns over his public speaking style, Jackson secured commitments from a majority of delegates through extensive local organizing efforts across the state.
Major labor unions, state Democrats, and national progressive organizations have united behind Jackson to prepare for the general election matchup against Collins.
"Those delegates were not handed to us.
You know, we earned them because hundreds and hundreds of people organized their neighbors, made the calls, had the conversations," Jackson said in Sanford.
Speaking to Politico on Sunday, Jackson described the grassroots momentum behind his campaign as "incredible" as delegates mobilized to sustain the party's momentum.
Campaign officials confirmed on Monday that operations are shifting focus toward the general election fight, with state Democrats facing a July 27 deadline to formally finalize the candidate on the ballot.
Jackson, 58, served as a logger before entering the state legislature in 2002 and later assumed the senate presidency in 2018 until leaving office in 2024 due to term limits.
