Full story
Jackson surges after Bellows
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson built momentum toward becoming Maine’s next Democratic Senate nominee after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ended her campaign on Sunday, with Democrats gathering in Sanford, Maine, and casting ballots for delegates to next week’s state convention.
NBC News reported that Democratic delegates at the convention will select a new nominee to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins after primary winner Graham Platner abruptly ended his campaign last week after a sexual assault allegation, which he denied.
Jackson expressed confidence at a rally outside the York County meeting, saying, “Yesterday was an unbelievable huge step, but our work is not finished — not even close,” and he added that “Every candidate and every supporter deserves our respect.”
NBC News also reported that Physician Nirav Shah is another top contender, with Shah telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press Now” on Friday that he thought Jackson would struggle to win statewide, saying, “I don’t think he would have as good of a chance to beat Sen. Collins as I would.”
Delegate math and quotes
As county delegate nominating meetings unfolded, Common Dreams said eight of Maine’s 16 counties held meetings on Saturday and decided on the first 319 of 500 total delegates that will vote for the Democratic nominee at next weekend’s convention.
Common Dreams reported that at least 290 of the delegates chosen in the first eight counties backed Jackson, and it quoted Jackson saying, “We're well on our way to getting the government that we deserve,” while also describing his volunteer network as quickly organizing after Platner dropped out.
Fox News said delegates aligned with Jackson won more than 90% of the 319 slots up for grabs on Saturday, including all 149 in Cumberland County, Maine’s most populous county and home to Portland.
Fox News also quoted Jackson emphasizing, “We’re well on our way to getting the government that we deserve,” as it described the remaining eight counties selecting 181 delegates on Sunday and the 500 picked this weekend joining 101 delegates from the Democratic State Committee for a 601-delegate convention in Bangor.
Convention stakes vs Collins
The nomination fight is set to culminate at a July 25 convention in Bangor, where 601 delegates will vote for the Senate nominee, with CNN describing 500 delegates coming from county elections and 101 coming automatically from the Democratic State Committee.
“AUGUSTA, Maine — Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson was cruising toward the Democratic U”
CNN said Jackson looked to tighten his grip on Sunday as the state’s remaining counties elected 181 more delegates, and it tied the contest to the must-win race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
CNN reported that Jackson said on X, “We’re well on our way to getting the government that we deserve,” and it described Collins criticism centered on ICE after an agent shot and killed a man in Biddeford, a coastal Maine town.
NBC News framed the stakes through the party’s need to unify behind a nominee, quoting Shah’s view that Jackson “may not have the same ability to unify the party in all parts of the state — north, south, east, west — as I do.”
