Democrats are gathering in Bangor, Maine, on Saturday to formally nominate a new candidate for U.S.Senate, as the party looks to move past the scandal-plagued campaign of Graham Platner and refocus its sights on unseating longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins.It's a Senate matchup with far-reaching political implications.
Democrats need to net a total of four seats to win back control of the chamber this fall, and party officials see the contest in Maine as one of their best opportunities.The race was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when Platner, the party's initial nominee, ended his campaign after a woman he previously dated came forward and accused him of raping her in 2021.Platner has denied the allegation, but it was the final straw for Democrats after months of controversy surrounding him.
Now, after an abbreviated and chaotic search for a replacement, Maine Democrats are hoping to rally behind a new candidate who can harness the same energy and momentum of the Platner campaign.The apparent front-runner heading into Saturday's convention is Troy Jackson.The former president of the Maine Senate has already garnered support from the bulk of elected delegates who will cast ballots for the nominee, and nearly every one of his primary rivals has dropped out of the race.Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from northern Maine, is running on an economic populist message that mirrors much of what Platner emphasized in his campaign, rejecting the Democratic establishment and focusing on affordability concerns, backing policies like Medicare for All and raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy and large corporations.Like other more progressive candidates on the left, Jackson is pushing for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an end to U.S.
military aid to Israel.He's also advocating for Congress to pass civil rights legislation protecting LGBTQ Americans and federalize the right to an abortion — two issues where he's changed his views a...