Troy Jackson Picked to Replace Platner at Maine Democratic Convention - but He May Have More Issues

redstate.com

On Saturday, Troy Jackson was officially picked as the replacement for Graham Platner to be the Democrat candidate for the Senate from Maine

As we reported, this was the likely result after the other main candidates dropped out and endorsed Jackson about a week ago. This was after it became clear that he had about two-thirds of the Democratic delegates who would be voting on a replacement. 

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READ MORE: Big Action in Maine Senate Race As Candidates Drop Out, Who Will Replace Platner Becomes Clear

What was pretty humorous is a guy who's been in state politics for 25 years trying to paint himself as some kind of "outsider" or change agent. He also just lost another race for governor. 

Fox makes the point here that it's the delegates choosing Jackson - not the Democratic voters.

So once again, Democrats, the "defenders of democracy," are putting forth a candidate who (like Kamala Harris) hasn't been chosen by the people. That's something Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) can rightly bash him over. 

But there may be ample other material to pull up on Jackson. 

As even The Washington Post acknowledges, this guy seems to have a temper issue.

Troy Jackson, a powerful Maine legislator now running for Senate, once angrily threw a water bottle in a meeting after he couldn’t persuade a lawmaker to vote his way.

He yelled at another lawmaker, prompting her to post on social media that straight men were “too emotional” to be in politics. And he cursed and shouted in a meeting with the speaker of Maine’s state House, until she kicked him out of her office.

During the six years Jackson presided over Maine’s Senate, until he left office in 2024, his temper was a feature of his leadership, and one that Democratic lawmakers discussed among themselves as a problem and even raised with the governor.

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If even Democratic lawmakers thought it was a "problem," you know it's likely it was bad. 

Then, too, as we reported, there was an allegation of mortgage fraud, and Mark Halperin implied there may be more things yet to drop in relation to him. 

Given what the Democratic voters were willing to put up with when it came to Platner, that might not stop them. But it may matter to the independent voters and others in the center who are tired and concerned about what they have been seeing from the Democrats. 

Maine Republican state Rep. James White has also written a letter to the Maine Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows (one of the people who just dropped out and endorsed Jackson), questioning Jackson's eligibility since he also just ran for governor. 

So we'll have to see if that carries any weight as well in this race. 

But it's clear Jackson is not a sterling speaker. This is why they were trying to hold onto Platner, despite the allegations against him. This is clueless, but apparently it's a slogan. 

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"We're from the bottom," Jackson said. Bottom feeder, bottom-of-the-barrel bad ideas? 

I'm thinking the chances the Republicans will hold the Senate just got a bit better. 

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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