Jackson Surges Toward Maine Senate Nomination as Key Rivals Withdraw

Progressive leader Troy Jackson advanced significantly toward securing the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine on Sunday after two primary rivals suspended their campaigns.

Former public health official Dr. Nirav Shah, who placed second in last month’s gubernatorial primary, announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Jackson. Hours earlier, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows withdrew from the race.

Their departures leave Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, with a clear path heading into a statewide nominating convention. Roughly 600 delegates will select a replacement for Graham Platner, who exited the race following a rape allegation he has denied.

The chosen nominee will face Senator Susan Collins, a potentially vulnerable fifth-term Republican, in the November midterms. The Maine contest is viewed as pivotal to Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate majority.

Shah and Bellows appeared to concede to Jackson’s dominant performance at county caucuses where delegates were selected. In a statement, Shah emphasized the need for Democratic unity to defeat Collins.

“Susan Collins, Donald Trump, and Senate Republicans are banking on disunity and frustration among Maine Democrats to win this seat, and we are not going to give them that,” Shah said. “Maine Democrats are united, angry, and energized.”

An analysis of county results indicated a clear majority of delegates bound for the convention from Maine’s 16 counties were aligned with Jackson, according to a slate released by his campaign. Interviews with candidates, voters, delegates, and party operatives confirmed his growing momentum.

At the convention, delegates and members of the state Democratic committee will vote on Platner’s replacement. A candidate must secure a majority to win the nomination.

While some delegates have indicated preferences in nominating documents, they remain free to change their minds before the convention. Other factors, including a high-profile debate scheduled for this week, could alter the dynamics. At least one delegate, Sherrell Holtshouser of Stockton Springs, said she was incorrectly listed by Jackson’s campaign as a supporter.

“I think he’s a good candidate,” she said, “but I did not commit to a candidate.”

The leading contenders to replace Platner were largely aligned ideologically; at a recent debate, they disagreed on little beyond daylight saving time.

However, Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from northern Maine, was viewed as the closest ideological heir to Platner, who campaigned on a progressive, populist platform. Jackson enjoys significant union backing and frequently invokes “solidarity.” Like Platner, he supports universal health care and has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza; he also campaigned alongside Platner.

“He’s the heir of the campaign that just fell apart for Graham,” said State Representative Nina Milliken, a Democrat from Blue Hill. “The issues Troy has championed in the State Senate and House closely mirror those Graham fought for on the trail.”

Jackson finished third in last month’s gubernatorial primary, while Bellows placed fourth and Shah came in second. All three quickly pivoted to the Senate race following the collapse of Platner’s campaign.

In a statement Sunday morning, Bellows said “the best way that I can serve our state and country at this moment is by focusing” on her duties as secretary of state.

“The most important thing we can do in this moment is unite to defeat Susan Collins,” Bellows wrote on social media, adding that “Democrats don’t have a day to waste.” She did not immediately endorse another candidate.

Bellows previously challenged Collins in 2014, losing by 37 percentage points.

Over the weekend, Maine Democrats convened at county meetings to elect 500 delegates who will join approximately 100 state party committee members at the convention in Bangor.

On Sunday, Jackson addressed supporters in a parking lot outside a performing arts center in southern Maine ahead of the York County delegate vote.

“Yesterday, we showed them what this movement can do, what your movement can do,” he said. “Today, York County gets that chance. Let’s elect this slate, let’s win this nomination, and let’s unite this party.”

Further north in Hancock County—Platner’s home turf—all but one of the 23 delegates chosen Saturday appeared to back Jackson, according to Marcia Myers, chair of the Hancock County Democrats.

“Nobody is committed — officially committed,” Myers noted, but she attributed Jackson’s success to strong organization and a perception among Platner’s backers that Jackson was the closest political match. “His supporters have seemed pretty closely aligned with Troy from early on, even before Graham dropped out.”

In recent days, union organizers backing Jackson held early-morning calls to construct delegate slates for the meetings, said Andy O’Brien, a spokesman for the Maine AFL-CIO.

“This whole convention that was set up is really our bread and butter,” O’Brien said. “We’re organizers. So we were able to quickly organize and get slates for Troy in every county.”

The strategy appeared to succeed decisively.

In Cumberland County, which includes Portland, all 149 candidates on Jackson’s delegate slate reportedly won election to fill the county’s 149 spots.

On Sunday, Jackson moved to consolidate support from Bellows’s backers, thanking her on social media for her “friendship,” “service,” and “dedication to our shared values.”

“Defeating Susan Collins will take all of us,” he added, “and I’m grateful for your commitment to bringing Democrats together around that mission.”

Another contender, Jordan Wood—who lost a competitive House primary last month—also reacted swiftly to Bellows’s exit, calling her an inspiration and a friend on social media.

The candidates entered the unusual race following Platner’s departure and have assembled campaigns rapidly.

At a debate last week, Bellows acknowledged she was scrambling to master Collins’s recent voting record. When a moderator corrected her on Collins’s stance regarding U.S. military action in Venezuela, Bellows replied, “Forgive me — a week ago I was on vacation.”

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