Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to have secured enough delegates to win the abbreviated race to replace ex-candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee. Delegates aligned with Jackson won the vast majority of the 500 slots available on Saturday and Sunday, as Maine's 16 counties held two days of delegate selection for next weekend's nominating convention.
Jackson's top two rivals for the nomination, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Nirav Shah, a former top public health official, dropped out of the race on Sunday. This move has solidified Jackson's position in the contest.
In a social media post, Jackson expressed his determination to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the midterm elections. "In November, Mainers will defeat Susan Collins, and we will take back our Senate seat from the billionaires and corporations who think they own it," he said.
Jackson's campaign is built around a progressive and populist platform, aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as "Medicare-for-all," abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and opposing military aid to Israel.
With over 470 delegates on his slate, Jackson is in a strong position to secure the nomination and face off against Collins. The GOP currently holds the Senate majority 53-47, and the contest is expected to be a combative and expensive ballot box battle.
While the delegates on Jackson's slate are not required to support him at the next weekend's convention, he is likely to secure the nomination. The winning streak of Jackson-aligned delegates continued throughout the day, with all 149 delegates in Cumberland County, Maine's most populous county, being won by his slate.
Over 470 of the 500 delegates elected this weekend were on Jackson's slate. The delegates chosen will join another 101 coming automatically from the Democratic State Committee. All 601 will officially vote for the Senate nominee at next Saturday's convention in Bangor, Maine.
In a statement, Bellows urged Maine Democrats to unite against Collins. "To Maine Democrats: Susan Collins will not be defeated without a united Democratic Party. And we cannot unite without treating one another with respect," she said.
Jackson has expressed his gratitude to Shah and other candidates who have dropped out of the race. He urged his supporters to come together and build a broad coalition to defeat Collins. "Now it's time for all of us to come together, build the broadest possible coalition, and defeat Susan Collins. Let's get to work," he said.
