Maine Democrats nominated former state Senate President Troy Jackson as their U.S. Senate candidate at a July 25 convention in Bangor, rushing to fill the void left by Graham Platner's implosion — but fresh scrutiny of Jackson's record is already clouding the reset.
Jackson crushed the convention vote 566-5 over Saundra Pelletier, securing the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. The nomination came after Platner ended his campaign amid a sexual assault allegation he denied.
Fox News, which confirmed the nomination alongside NBC News, AP, NHPR, and Seacoast Online, also reported concerns among some Democrats about Jackson's vetting — including alleged temper issues, mortgage improprieties, and a past anti-abortion stance.
Democrats lost their candidate because of lack of vetting
Karl Rove, appearing on Fox News, attributed the Platner collapse to a failure of the party's vetting process. The ticker headline captured his verdict plainly: Democrats lost their candidate because of lack of vetting.
Jackson, whom Fox News labeled a socialist in its coverage, now carries the party's Senate hopes against a well-funded incumbent — with his own warning signs surfacing before the general election campaign has even begun.
The question now is whether the party that failed to vet one nominee has done its homework on the second.