Maine’s Troy Jackson Is on a Path to Become Senate Nominee

A majority of delegates chosen this weekend for Saturday’s convention pledged to support him, though they aren’t bound to keep that promise.

admin July 19, 2026 2 minutes read

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson may have effectively clinched the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine.

Jackson, who is seeking to replace scandal-plagued Graham Platner on the Democratic ticket after Platner dropped out, has the backing of more than half of the delegates who will attend next weekend’s nominating convention, according to an analysis by the Bangor Daily News.

On Saturday, 500 delegates and 101 members of the state’s central committee are scheduled to meet in Bangor, Maine. Those 500 delegates were being chosen this weekend. The Bangor Daily News reported that York County, which borders New Hampshire, put Jackson over the top, bringing his total of pledged delegates over 301.

The delegates are formally unbound, meaning they are not legally required to vote for a specific candidate even if they promised to during the delegate selection process.

Jackson faces former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah, former congressional staffer Jordan Wood and 11 other Democrats vying to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows dropped out of the race earlier Sunday, before Jackson effectively surpassed the threshold to carry the majority of the delegates.

The race to become the Democratic nominee for Senate reopened earlier this month after Platner withdrew amid sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.