One candidate has emerged as the apparent victor in Maine’s scramble to replace former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner — but unfortunately, his politics don’t appear to be any less radical than those of his predecessor.
Platner officially withdrew from the contentious Senate race on July 10 after a former girlfriend accused the self-described oyster farmer of sexual assault, causing his financial and political backing to quickly dissipate.
‘It’s become very clear to me that abortion is health care, and I believe in health care for everyone.’
Maine counties held nomination meetings over the weekend to select delegates for the Democratic Party’s upcoming convention, where former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson pulled through as the frontrunner to replace Platner, winning more than three-quarters of the total delegates’ votes.
Jackson, who spent two decades in the state legislature, has cultivated a reputation as a staunch progressive in Maine politics. His Senate campaign website highlights policies including Medicare for all, tax increases on billionaires, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, codifying a federal right to abortion, and cutting U.S. funding for Israel’s “genocide” — positions that closely resemble the platform on which Platner won the primary.
Despite voting against a 2009 bill legalizing same-sex marriage, Jackson has since changed his views on the issue, calling his vote “something I regretted from the start.” In 2024, Jackson’s voting record received a 100% from Equality Maine, a gay rights advocacy group.
Jackson also opposed abortion rights earlier in his career, earning a perfect score from the Maine Right to Life Committee in 2010. Yet by 2023, he had co-sponsored a bill allowing late-term abortions under certain circumstances.
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Troy Jackson stands with supporters during a July 14 demonstration outside a federal immigration office in Scarborough, Maine, following the fatal shooting of a man by ICE agents. Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
“It’s become very clear to me that abortion is health care, and I believe in health care for everyone,” Jackson told the New York Times.
Jackson’s background, including his experience as a logger and purportedly as a union organizer, has also made him appealing to the progressive left.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) threw his support behind Jackson even before Platner officially dropped out.
“[Troy Jackson] is someone who has spent his life standing up for these progressive values,” Khanna wrote. “The movement is about standing for Medicare for All, opposing foreign wars, and getting money out of politics.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) organization, Our Revolution, followed suit, praising Jackson’s “commitment to workers, lower prices, and affordable housing,” which “best reflects the platform that won the primary.”
Earlier this year, Jackson unsuccessfully ran for governor of Maine, finishing third in the Democratic primary’s ranked-choice voting. Despite his defeat, he managed to secure the endorsement of the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the organization behind a plethora of other far-left candidates around the country — many of whom have been successful in their bids for elected office.
“Maine DSA proudly endorses Troy Jackson for governor!” the organization posted, adding, “The Maine working class will wield its collective power, and Maine DSA will have a seat at the table.”
Jackson also frequently appeared alongside Platner on the campaign trail during their respective primary campaigns. The two shared a stage at a “Fighting Oligarchy” event with Sanders over Memorial Day weekend, signaling the close political alignment between the candidates even before Jackson emerged as Platner’s likely successor.
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Troy Jackson, Bernie Sanders, and Graham Platner during a Fighting Oligarchy event in Portland, Maine, on May 25.. Sophie Park/Bloomberg/Getty Images
In the aftermath of the sexual assault allegation, Jackson called on Platner to drop out of the race, doubting his ability to defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“He’s just not going to win, and he’s going to leave us with another six years of income tax cuts for billionaires and no health insurance,” Jackson said.
Jackson’s nomination is expected to be finalized at the July 25 convention, where he will face Collins in a race that could help determine control of the Senate.
“In November, Mainers will defeat Susan Collins, and we will take back our Senate seat from the billionaires and corporations who think they own it,” Jackson wrote in a post on Sunday evening.
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