Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson is leading the delegate race to become the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat previously contested by Graham Platner. On Saturday, Jackson's supporters secured over 90% of the 319 delegate slots available during the delegate selection process in Maine's 16 counties. Jackson expressed gratitude to his supporters in a video, stating, "We’re well on our way to getting the government that we deserve."
Jackson is positioned to face Republican Senator Susan Collins in the upcoming midterm elections, which are critical for the Democrats' chances of regaining Senate control, currently held by the GOP with a 53-47 majority.
Jackson, who has a background as a logger and transitioned from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party over two decades ago, previously placed third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He has received support from progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, and is backed by the group 'Our Revolution.'
In the delegate selection, Jackson-aligned delegates won all 149 slots in Cumberland County, Maine's most populous area. The remaining counties will select 181 delegates on Sunday, with all 601 delegates voting for the Senate nominee at the convention in Bangor next Saturday.
Graham Platner, who was a strong contender, withdrew from the race earlier this month following allegations of misconduct. Jackson had previously called for Platner to step down in light of these allegations, while also positioning himself as a candidate who can continue advocating for a progressive agenda, including policies like Medicare-for-all and increased taxes on billionaires.