BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrats on Saturday will choose a new U.S. Senate nominee to face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a contest that could decide control of the Senate, after Graham Platner dropped out of the race following an allegation of sexual assault.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.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. Platner denies the allegation, but quit the race after key supporters called on him to withdraw. 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. But defeating Collins won’t be easy. The five-term incumbent holds a fundraising advantage, while the new nominee will have less than four months to sell themselves to voters.
Maine law gave the state party authority to choose a replacement and required a new nominee to be named by Monday — 99 days before the Nov. 3 election.Maine Democrats’ never-before-used process of voting on a new nominee will involve more than 600 Democratic delegates gathering in Bangor, about 130 miles (209.21 kilometers) north of Portland. The delegates were elected at county party meetings last weekend.“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.
