BANGOR, Maine — Former state Senate President Troy Jackson is on the cusp of becoming Democrats’ Senate nominee in Maine, starting a 101-day sprint to Election Day in a nationally watched, must-win race for his party.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Hundreds of Democrats are gathering in Bangor on Saturday morning for a state convention to pick their Senate nominee after the primary winner, Graham Platner, ended his campaign earlier this month after a sexual assault allegation, which he denied.Jackson is facing pharmaceutical executive Saundra Pelletier in his bid for the nomination at the convention.But Jackson, a veteran legislator, is expected to win the nod after delegate candidates supporting him dominated at county meetings last weekend and all of his major opponents dropped out.The rapid series of events has shaken the Maine contest, where longtime Sen.
Susan Collins, the only Republican representing a state President Donald Trump lost in 2024, is seeking a sixth term.Democrats are looking to net four seats and take control of the Senate this fall, and Maine represents one of their best opportunities to notch a win, at least on paper.
If Democrats do not defeat Collins, they’ll have to pick up another seat in a state Trump carried by double digits.Jackson previewed his case against the senator at rallies last weekend.“In nearly 30 years, Susan Collins has told Mainers that she is concerned.She’s told us that she is troubled,” Jackson told his supporters at a Sanford rally, prompting one of his backers to remark, “She should be now.”“Too often she’s stood with Donald Trump and the corporations that already have too much power,” Jackson later added, saying the senator voted for “tax giveaways to billionaires and corporations” and supported the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who then voted to overturn Roe v.
Wade, the landmark case that had guaran...