Maine Democrats pick Troy Jackson for Senate after Platner exit
What's next: Jackson now faces Sen. Susan Collins in a race that could help decide control of the Senate.
Maine Democrats chose former state Senate President Troy Jackson as their U.S. Senate nominee on Saturday, resetting a closely watched race after primary winner Graham Platner suspended his campaign amid a sexual assault allegation he denied. At the party's convention in Bangor, Jackson beat Saundra Pelletier 566-5 after other Democratic contenders dropped out and delegates consolidated behind him. Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from Allagash, had recently ended his own run for governor before moving into the Senate contest. He now becomes the likely Democratic challenger to Collins, the only Republican incumbent seeking re-election in a state Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election.