When our Senate nominee left the race, Maine Democrats had days — not months — to choose a new one. There was no playbook for it, and no state party had ever tried it on this timeline. With so much riding on this seat, people across the country wondered whether it could be done fairly and out in the open.
In July 2026, we did it.
Our party worked around the clock to build a process that included as many Mainers as possible and stayed transparent at every step. Delegates, volunteers, staff, and local leaders from every county showed up and did the work. Together, Mainers pulled off what plenty of people said couldn’t be done.
The Convention Process
In less than three weeks, the Maine Democratic Party conceived of, built, and carried out an unprecedented statewide nominating process designed to ensure Democrats across our state had a voice in selecting our next nominee for U.S. Senate. Due to July 26th deadline, this process was executed on an unbelievably compressed timeframe, yet no detail was overlooked, and no Mainer’s voice was ignored.
Delegate Nominating Meetings were held in all 16 counties on July 18th and 19th, where voters selected 500 county delegates who, alongside 101 members of the Democratic State Committee, made up the 601-member Nominating Convention.
The response from Maine Democrats was extraordinary. More than 20,000 Democrats were verified to participate, 17,279 cast ballots, amounting to 85% turnout. Nearly 4,000 Democrats stepped forward to run as delegates. Many candidates and their teams also rose to the occasion, working under rapid-fire deadlines, to meet the requirements to compete for the nomination.
On July 25, delegates from all 16 counties gathered in Bangor for the Nominating Convention. 583 delegates participated in the vote, and Troy Jackson earned 566 votes to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Troy Jackson has spent more than two decades fighting for Maine’s working people. A logger by trade and longtime public servant, Troy has built his career on standing up for working people and those who too often get left behind. His work has focused on the issues Maine families confront every day: health care and prescription drug costs to workers’ rights and reproductive freedom. Now, he’s bringing that same commitment to his campaign to unseat Susan Collins once and for all.
Our Next Steps
During those few weeks, the spotlight was on Maine. The nation looked on as we worked long days and nights to secure a new Senate candidate for Maine that could champion our party, our values, and the Democrats across our state. Now, the real work is only beginning. Our focus must shift to defeating Susan Collins.
Susan Collins has voted with Trump 96% of the time. She has confirmed dozens of anti-abortion judges along with Kavanaugh, and has failed to protect Maine’s health care, land, or economy. Despite her constant “concern”, she’s put the interests of lobbyists before those of Mainers time and time again. If we want a better future for our state, we need a senator that fights for working families, lowers costs, and protects our freedoms.
We will be turning our efforts to building and maintaining the grassroots momentum needed to ensure Troy Jackson wins this November. When the time comes, we know that Mainers will be ready to turn out in November just as we did this July.
When the deck was stacked against us, together as Mainers, we persevered. That’s why when it comes time to defeat Susan Collins this fall, together as Mainers, we will win.
