Troy Jackson Wins Maine Senate Nomination in Under 100 Days to Take On Susan Collins
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 1
Troy Jackson Wins Maine Senate Nomination in Under 100 Days to Take On Susan Collins
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 1
Summary
Jackson emerged as Maine Democrats’ Senate nominee after Graham Platner quit over rape allegations he denies, leaving Jackson fewer than 100 days to mount a statewide challenge to Republican Susan Collins.
Nearly all of about 500 delegates backed Jackson at a hastily arranged convention after more than 17,000 voters took part in county-level delegate elections, making him the heir to Platner’s anti-establishment message.
His immediate task is broader than energizing progressives: Jackson must win over 2020 ticket-splitters and unenrolled voters, a bloc that makes up about a third of Maine’s electorate.
Collins enters with major advantages — more than $11 million cash on hand to Jackson’s roughly $3 million raised since early July, plus five terms of incumbency and a reputation for delivering federal money to Maine.
Republicans are already tying Jackson to Platner’s scandals and to Bernie Sanders, while Democrats see Maine as one of the four seats they need to retake Senate control.