On the Ballot: Maine Democrats breathe sigh of relief despite steep obstacles ahead of Jackson

Democrats in Maine are breathing a sigh of relief after avoiding a divisive battle to replace Graham Platner as their Senate nominee, but the party’s biggest test lies ahead as it seeks to unseat five-term Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Former state Senate President Troy Jackson (D) won an overwhelming majority of delegate slots, prompting his major opponents to drop out and call for the party to unite behind Jackson.

He’s now all but guaranteed to win the formal nod at the party’s nominating convention on Saturday, and former Maine Democratic Party Chair Bev Uhlenhake told The Hill that the overall mood in the party is “relief” that they can move forward.

“People are pretty excited,” said former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling, who overlapped with Jackson while serving in the Maine legislature.

“It’s going to be a tough race,” he continued. “Everybody understands that, and I think people realize they’re going to have to work like hell to get this thing across the finish line. But Troy represents a real opportunity to do that.” 

But defeating the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee chair will be no easy feat for Democrats, who have to make up for lost time as they try to close the fundraising gap with Collins and introduce their candidate to Mainers before November.

“It’s going to take funds. It’s going to take knocking on doors. It’s going to take making phone calls. It’s going to take all that stuff,” Strimling said. “It’s an uphill battle to win this race, but it’s as winnable as it can be, with Troy at the top of the ticket.”

Maine Democrats are not concerned about Jackson’s ability to retain the support of Platner’s base, since Jackson has long embraced many of Platner’s working-class populist positions and, as a former logger, has an authentic blue-collar background that Republicans would have a harder time undercutting.

While political observers say Jackson lacks the natural charisma and speaking talent that helped propel Platner’s rise, many Democrats have dismissed these concerns heading into November.

“There are a lot of really good politicians who don’t have the same level of charisma that Graham Platner had, and that does not make them bad politicians,” Uhlenhake said. “That makes them a little bit more subdued.”

“He’s not the classically trained pianist,” she continued. “He’s learned it on his own while he’s been doing the work. Does that mean that he doesn’t necessarily come across as polished as others? Sure. But I don’t think that that hurts him with Maine voters. I think that makes him relatable.”

Jackson ran for governor this year with the support of Platner and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a crowded Democratic primary. He finished in a close third in the first round of ranked-choice voting, following Nirav Shah and Hannah Pingree. Pingree ultimately won the nomination. 

Having served in Maine politics for more than two decades, Jackson is a familiar face in the state who has undergone some degree of vetting in the past, but he is unlikely to have faced the same level of scrutiny that is sure to come in the months ahead.

“At this point, there’s no going back,” Decision Desk HQ chief elections analyst Geoffrey Skelley told The Hill. “So if there are skeletons in his closet, they’ll come out, and he’s going to be their pick now, from the look of things.”

Already, Jackson has faced reports of having a fiery........

© The Hill