BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Democrats in the U.S. state of Maine have nominated former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, replacing Graham Platner ahead of November's midterm elections.
Jackson secured the nomination on Saturday after delegates at the Maine Democratic Party convention voted overwhelmingly in his favor, bringing to an end a two-week search for a new candidate.
The vacancy emerged after Platner withdrew from the race on July 10 following allegations of sexual assault. Platner has denied the allegations.
Approximately 600 delegates attending the party convention in Bangor selected Jackson over Saundra Pelletier, the chief executive of a biopharmaceutical company.
Jackson will now face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has represented Maine in the U.S. Senate since 1997 and is seeking another term.
Maine is widely regarded as one of the most competitive Senate battlegrounds in the country, with the outcome expected to play an important role in determining whether Republicans retain control of the Senate after the midterm elections.
In his speech before the vote, Jackson focused on economic issues, arguing that rising living costs are placing increasing pressure on working families while accusing Collins of supporting policies that benefit wealthy individuals and large corporations.
The Senate race is expected to become one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 election cycle as both parties intensify their campaigns in the coming months.
