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.
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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.
