Maine Democrats are meeting to pick a new Senate nominee to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins

Democrats have seen Maine as the party's best opportunity to flip a Senate seat this year because it is a competitive Senate race in a state that President Donald Trump lost in 2024.

"We have worked hard to create a fair process that is inclusive of varying viewpoints and diverse backgrounds of Democrats across the state of Maine, as we all come together in service of our ultimate goal: defeat Susan Collins and win this Senate seat," the party said in a statement.

What we know

CNBC Top News Maine Democrats are meeting to pick a new Senate nominee to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/25/maine-democrats-are-meeting-to-pick-a-new-senate-nominee.html 2026-07-25T13:18:15.000Z Maine Democrats on Saturday will choose a new U.S.

Support has coalesced around former state Senate President Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from rural northern Maine who campaigned alongside Platner during a failed bid for governor and was a favorite among progressives to replace him. He also has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose presence in Maine has been hotly debated since an agent killed a driver in the state earlier this month.

Republicans have called Jackson too extreme for Maine voters, and Collins said earlier this week that she knows Jackson well and that his positions are "clearly" in line with socialism.

The details

The Maine Democratic Party has been scrambling to choose a new nominee after Platner, who sailed to victory in the Democratic primary in June, was accused by a former girlfriend of sexually assaulting her in 2021. Maine Democrats' never-before-used process of voting on a new nominee involves more than 600 Democratic delegates gathering in Bangor, about 130 miles (209.21 kilometers) north of Portland. Once Platner dropped out on July 10, a flood of former governor candidates — including Jackson — and others jumped to try to take Platner's place. Janet Mills, who was backed by Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer but dropped out before the June 9 primary.

Reactions

He said he didn't plan to weigh in on which Democrat should replace Platner. Jackson's campaign says more than 480 of the 601 delegates who will be voting at Saturday's convention are committed to supporting him. "We are building a movement in every corner of this state to defeat Susan Collins and elect a senator who will fight like hell for working people," Jackson said last week.

What to watch

If he becomes the nominee, Jackson will need to convince the state's large independent voting bloc that it's time to replace Collins. She noted Jackson ran Sanders' first presidential campaign in Maine, adding "He's a Bernie Bro." Jackson would also need to scramble to make up a fundraising gulf against Collins, who has been raising money for months.