Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ended her Senate campaign on Sunday in Sanford, and former state Senate President Troy Jackson has emerged as the Democratic frontrunner and appears all but certain to replace Graham Platner as the party’s nominee to face Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins at a statewide convention set for July 25 in Bangor.
Bellows said, "Donald Trump’s attacks on our democracy are only accelerating, and the best way that I can serve our state and country at this moment is by focusing exclusively on my role as Secretary of State." She also said, "This has been an unprecedented nominating process, compressed into days instead of months, and I'm grateful to every volunteer who worked around the clock for this movement. That energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November — and Democrats don't have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal." Bellows did not mention Jackson when suspending her campaign.
Jackson’s campaign said Monday it was "turning its full focus toward defeating Senator Susan Collins," citing a "decisive advantage" during recent county-level caucuses. The campaign said 481 of 500 county delegates support Jackson; a total of 601 delegates will participate in the July 25 convention, with the additional 101 delegates being members of the Maine Democratic State Committee.
Four other Democrats ended their campaigns over the weekend and backed Jackson: Nirav Shah, Dan Kleban and Jordan Wood all dropped out and endorsed him, and Shenna Bellows also suspended her bid. Graham Platner had won the Democratic primary before withdrawing earlier this month after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault; he has denied the allegation. "We are suspending our campaign tonight. This is the conclusion of the caucuses and letting this process play out," Wood said, adding that he was proud to endorse Jackson.
The Maine Democratic Party's website lists that eight candidates remain in the race to replace Platner, including former primary candidate David Costello and activist Ashley Webb.
Jackson's campaign describes him as a fifth-generation logger and he finished third in June's Democratic primary for governor. Axios reported Jackson's policy priorities include passing Medicare for all, cutting off tax dollars to Israel's military, abolishing ICE and passing a federal right to abortion. In a video to supporters, Jackson said, "We're well on our way to getting the government that we fucking deserve." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed Jackson in the gubernatorial race.
Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman said the July 25 convention "will be fair, representative, and as transparent as possible," and votes will be cast in rounds until one candidate reaches a majority. Delegates are not pledged to any specific candidate, though a majority have reportedly committed to backing Jackson.