Full story
Jackson replaces Platner
Democrats in Maine selected Troy Jackson as their new nominee for U.S. Senate on Saturday in Bangor, replacing Graham Platner after Platner suspended his campaign earlier this month following a sexual assault allegation that he denied.
NBC News reported that Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman said Jackson captured all but five of the 571 ballots cast at the convention, prompting chants of “Troy! Troy! Troy!”
NPR said Jackson won the party’s nod with the support of 566 of 571 delegates who voted at the convention, and that he will face longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins in a closely watched race this fall.
Jackson’s acceptance remarks framed the contest as a fight against “every powerful interest standing behind her,” and he said, “Shoulder to shoulder, we can defeat Susan Collins, and we can take back that Senate seat.”
The nomination caps a rapid transition after Platner’s withdrawal, with CBS News describing a 566-5 vote that selected Jackson over David Costello and Saundra Pelletier at the nominating contest.
Competing claims and quotes
The Collins campaign criticized Jackson’s candidacy as “low-energy” and said it was the product of “a closed process run by Democratic Party elites,” with spokesman Shawn Roderick arguing the appointment came from “fewer than three-tenths of one percent of its primary voters.”
Jackson, in an acceptance speech, said, “They will say that a grassroots campaign, powered by working people, cannot defeat Susan Collins and every powerful interest standing behind her. They are wrong again,” and he added, “Because we can, we can together.”
CBS News reported that Jackson’s preferred slate of delegates dominated the elections and that other prominent contenders, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah, bowed out and encouraged the party to come together to defeat Collins.
NBC News quoted Jackson previewing his case against Collins, saying, “Maine does not need another six years of concern,” as he argued Collins “gutted our healthcare” and “gave ICE billions to terrorize our neighbors and murder people in the streets with no accountability.”
NPR also quoted Democratic state Sen. Stacy Brenner arguing Jackson’s views could evolve, saying, “What I find compelling about legislators and policymakers is when they are able to evolve with the thinking of where their heart is.”
Money, timing, and stakes
With the nomination set, attention turns to the general election and the party’s broader Senate math, as NBC News said Democrats are looking to net four seats and take control of the Senate this fall.
CBS News described a short timeline for Maine Democrats, saying Maine election law required a nominee to withdraw by 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July to be replaced on the ballot, with the party then having two weeks to select a new nominee.
CBS News reported that Jackson’s campaign said he had raised more than $1 million since entering the race, with over $600,000 of the total pouring in after his delegate slate’s broad victories, while it said Collins has more than $11 million in cash on hand.
NBC News said Jackson’s path includes building a statewide campaign and raising millions to compete on the airwaves, and it noted Democrats must persuade huge numbers of Mainers who have repeatedly backed Collins for decades that it’s time for her to go.
Beyond Maine, CBS News said the race could be key to determining control of the Senate, adding that with 53 Republicans in the upper chamber, Democrats would need to flip four seats while defending seats in a handful of other close races to take the majority.
