Maine Democrat Troy Jackson races to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins
In short
Troy Jackson, Maine’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is campaigning on a compressed timetable against five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Jackson became the nominee with just over 100 days to go, after an emergency party convention following Graham Platner’s withdrawal while facing an allegation of sexual assault. Collins has a fundraising advantage of millions of dollars, and the two are scheduled to appear in the first of four debates.
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Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, is racing to introduce himself to voters against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the Associated Press reported. Jackson became the nominee with just over 100 days to go before the election, after the party held an emergency nominating convention when his predecessor as nominee, Graham Platner, dropped out while facing an allegation of sexual assault. [ 1 , 3 ]
On a Monday night in Scarborough, Jackson drew about 250 people into a converted church, where he spoke about healthcare and labor in Maine. The event differed from rallies held earlier this year by Platner, who sometimes drew more than 1,000 people and called for working people to take on the nation’s billionaires; Jackson sits with his legs folded, shares stories from his logging days and sometimes contends with the building’s acoustics. “They try and make us feel powerless. But when we come together we do have power,” Jackson said, according to the AP report. [ 3 ]
Voters at the events responded similarly, the AP reported. Debbe Kelley, 70, of Windham, said after a speech at a different church outside Portland that she appreciated Jackson’s “direct and genuine” approach and that many Maine voters are ready for Collins to leave office. “She’s just not a fighter for Maine,” Kelley said. “Troy is.” [ 3 ]
Jackson, 58, is a former state lawmaker. Collins, 73, was first elected in 1996 and is a five-term incumbent with strong support from the national Republican Party and a fundraising advantage of millions of dollars over Jackson; she says Jackson is too liberal for Maine, the AP reported. Democrats have long viewed the race as crucial for determining control of the Senate. The two are scheduled to appear Tuesday in the first of four debates. [ 3 ]
The Boston Globe profiled the region both candidates come from: Aroostook County, known locally as “the County,” home to roughly 66,000 people and roughly the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Collins’s family ran hardware and lumber stores in Caribou, and members of the family were taught that success carried a duty to serve the community. About 70 miles away in the hamlet of Allagash, Jackson’s family logged the deep woods in a region that has been among Maine’s poorest; the Globe described his inheritance as a conviction of the unfairness of that struggle, which he tapped to run for the Maine Legislature and eventually become Senate president. [ 2 ]
Both candidates have invoked those backgrounds repeatedly during the campaign, the Globe reported. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
Democrats have long viewed the Maine race as crucial to determining control of the U.S. Senate, and Collins has strong support from the national Republican Party, according to the AP report. The compressed nominating calendar gives Jackson a short window to introduce himself to voters statewide. Coverage also frames the contest through the shared rural roots of both candidates in Aroostook County, the region that produced them both.
Key facts
- Troy Jackson is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, running against Republican Sen. Susan Collins [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jackson became the nominee with just over 100 days to go, after an emergency nominating convention held when Graham Platner dropped out while facing an allegation of sexual assault [ 3 ]
- Jackson, 58, is a former state lawmaker; Collins, 73, was first elected in 1996 and is seeking a sixth term [ 3 ]
- Collins holds a fundraising advantage of millions of dollars over Jackson and has strong support from the national Republican Party, and she says Jackson is too liberal for Maine [ 3 ]
- At a Monday night event in a converted church in Scarborough, Jackson drew about 250 people and spoke about healthcare and labor in Maine [ 3 ]
- Jackson and Collins are scheduled to appear in the first of four debates on Tuesday [ 3 ]
- Aroostook County, known locally as “the County,” is home to roughly 66,000 people and is roughly the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island [ 2 ]
- Collins’s family ran hardware and lumber stores in Caribou; Jackson’s family worked in logging in Allagash, about 70 miles away [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Jackson can overcome the shortened campaign timeline against an incumbent with a fundraising advantage The documents frame the race as an uphill fight and a race against time, but give no polling or assessment of his chances
- The details of Graham Platner’s withdrawal and the sexual assault allegation against him Only one document mentions this, and it gives a single sentence with no further detail or response from Platner
- The size of Collins’s fundraising advantage The documents say only that it is in the millions of dollars, without specific figures or filing periods
- How Collins’s campaign responds to Jackson’s events and message The documents describe Collins’s positions and advantages but include no comment from her campaign
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Associated Press publishes a report on Troy Jackson’s bid to unseat Susan Collins [ 1 ]
- The Boston Globe publishes a profile of Aroostook County as the shared home region of Collins and Jackson [ 2 ]
- PBS NewsHour publishes an AP report on Jackson’s Monday night rally at a converted church in Scarborough, where he drew about 250 people [ 3 ]