How Jackson became Democrats’ pick to take on Collins in Maine

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson (D) is shifting his attention to a coming battle against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) after pulling off a stunning rise to become the likely Democratic nominee for Senate.

Jackson appears poised to formally win the nod Saturday at the party’s nominating convention in Bangor after securing an overwhelming majority of delegates and his main competitors dropped out of the race. 

After a failed gubernatorial run, Democrats are attributing Jackson’s remarkable turnaround to the strength of his grassroots appeal.

“He mobilized his supporters,” said Peggy Schaffer, a former vice chair of the Maine Democratic Party. “He had a lot of grassroots support. He figured out who they were, his team, and he called them. They talked to them. They made lists. They understood the process clearly.” 

Some procedures still need to take place before Jackson can officially become the replacement for former Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who exited the high-stakes race amid sexual misconduct and assault allegations earlier this month. Jackson must win a majority of the roughly 600 delegates who will gather in Bangor this weekend. 

But barring an unexpected development, the convention seems to mostly be a formality. Jackson-aligned delegates dominated county caucuses this past weekend, making clear he would be the favorite going into the convention. 

Recognizing the steep hurdle to overcome, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention........

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