Maine Democrats crown Troy Jackson as Platner replacement as fresh scrutiny clouds Senate reset

Jackson, a former state Senate president, was elected in a landslide at the Maine Democratic Party's nominating convention in Bangor.

"Maine voters have been shut out by the Democrat establishment with a rigged nominating process to crown Platner 2.0 without a single vote being cast," Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci charged in a statement to Fox News Digital.

What we know

WHO'S UP AND WHO'S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, arrives at the state Democratic Party's Senate nominating convention, in Bangor, Maine on July 25, 2026 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News ) "Are you ready to defeat Susan Collins? And let's win this fight," Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the remote northern tip of Maine and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, said in convention speech just ahead of the delegate vote.

"This is a bit of a rocket vetting process," a Democratic strategist who works on Senate races, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. The food bank was able to expand thanks to federal funding that the senator helped obtain. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News) The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, last month received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote.

Jackson handily won on Saturday with 566 votes during the Democratic nomination convention in Bangor, Maine.

The details

He was on a glide path to the nomination after winning the vast majority of the voting delegates chosen last weekend by Democrats in the northern New England state's 16 counties. Ro Khanna of California, a leading progressive in the House and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, was a top Platner backer. Supporters of Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, at the state party Senate convention in Bangor, Maine on July 25, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News ) Republicans argued ahead of the convention that Democrats stacked the deck to back Jackson as Platner's replacement. Susan Collins of Maine tours a food bank in Harrison, Maine, on May 5, 2026.

Reactions

Bernie Sanders of Vermont soon after he launched his bid last August, saw his campaign quickly catch fire. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as "Medicare-for-all," abolishing U.S. The 500 delegates chosen last weekend, along with 101 selected by the state party, voted in Saturday's convention.

What to watch

The Senate showdown in Maine is expected to be competitive, combustible, and expensive, with outside groups on both sides spending big bucks to run ads.