Ex-state senator cited as ‘obvious choice’ for rural, working-class appeal
Maine’s U.S. Senate race shifted course Wednesday when Democratic nominee Graham Platner suspended his campaign after a former romantic partner publicly accused him of sexual assault. Platner denied the allegation and blamed the media and political establishment for acting as “judge, jury and executioner.”
Maine Democrats have until July 27 to name a replacement candidate to face Republican incumbent Susan Collins in a race widely seen as one of the Democratic Party’s best pickup opportunities in the 2026 Senate cycle, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. On Wednesday, before Platner’s announcement, the Maine Democratic Party approved tentative plans for a nominating convention to select a successor.
Dustin Guastella, a research associate at the Center for Working Class Politics, argued in a Guardian op-ed published Friday that the party should turn to former state senator Troy Jackson. “Maine’s US Senate race was blown wide open by Graham Platner dropping out of the race,” Guastella wrote. “Thankfully, a suitable populist is at hand to fill the breach. His name is Troy Jackson.”
Guastella described Jackson as a “logger from the North Woods” and argued that Democrats need a candidate who can “speak to working-class, inland and rural Mainers.” The piece, which carries the op-ed label, called Jackson the “obvious choice.”
Jackson served as president of the Maine State Senate from 2018 to 2024, according to The New York Times. State public health expert Nirav Shah, who ran for governor of Maine earlier this year, also announced he would stand for the nomination, the BBC reported. NBC News reported that Jackson and Shah are seen as two potential candidates to replace Platner.
Guastella acknowledged the difficulty of mounting a late-stage campaign against Collins, who he said appeared more formidable than she did weeks ago, but argued that Jackson’s background and ties to rural Maine positioned him strongly.