Former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson emerged as the front-runner for the Maine Democratic Senate nomination on Sunday after securing the backing of a majority of state delegates ahead of next weekend’s state convention. His two main opponents, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health official Nirav Shah, both ended their campaigns on Sunday, further solidifying Jackson’s status as the likely nominee.“While they are not legally bound to support him, nearly two-thirds of the 601 delegates have committed to voting for Jackson at the statewide convention,” Politico reported on Sunday afternoon. Bellows announced her exit from the race just minutes before voting began early Sunday morning, saying, “The most important thing we can do in this moment is to unite to defeat Susan Collins.”“Donald Trump’s attacks on our democracy are only accelerating,” the statement said, “and the best way I can serve our state and country at this moment is by focusing exclusively on my role as Secretary of State. 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.”