Maine Democrats are gathering in Bangor on Saturday to formally pick a new U.S. Senate candidate, replacing Graham Platner, who ended his campaign earlier this month after a woman accused him of raping her in 2021. NPR

Platner won the June 9 Democratic primary, according to the Associated Press. He suspended his campaign in early July after a woman he had previously dated accused him of raping her in 2021. Democratic Party leaders called on him to withdraw as the nominee on July 6, Reuters reported. Platner has denied the allegation.

The scramble to replace him on the ballot drew a large field. By July 9, five candidates had declared, each positioning themselves as the best carrier of Platner's outsider message, according to Reuters. A debate on July 16 included nine declared candidates on stage after the hosting station agreed to expand the field. By the time Democrats convene this weekend, nearly every rival had dropped out, and three candidates remained as of the convention: Troy Jackson, Saundra Pelletier, and David Costello, according to WMTW.

Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from northern Maine and former president of the Maine Senate, enters the convention as the apparent front-runner. He dominated delegate-selection meetings in half of Maine's counties on July 18, Maine Public reported. Reuters reported on July 19 that Jackson had gained majority delegate support, effectively securing the nomination to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins. Shenna Bellows, another contender, dropped out the same day.

Jackson's platform places him on the left flank of the party: Medicare for All, tax increases on the ultra-wealthy and large corporations, abolishing ICE, ending U.S. military aid to Israel, passing LGBTQ civil rights legislation, and federalizing the right to an abortion. He previously held more conservative positions on LGBTQ rights and abortion before changing his views.

State Senator Stacy Brenner, a farmer and nurse who supports Jackson, described his evolution on those issues as compelling. The Washington Post and CNN have reported that Jackson exhibited a short temper with colleagues during his time in office.

The Maine Democratic Party's website at mainedems.org features a "Senate Nominating Convention Countdown" timer and a link to "FINAL DELEGATE RESULTS." The party published a "County Delegate Guide" PDF on July 16 explaining how delegates participate in the nominating convention.

The convention process is a consequence of Maine's ballot-access rules. Because Platner had already won the primary, the party could not simply name a replacement. It must hold a nominating convention where delegates selected at municipal and county caucuses cast votes. That made the July 18 county meetings a decisive step in building Jackson's lead before the formal vote in Bangor.

Democrats need to net four seats to win back control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 election. The Maine seat, held by Collins, is part of the national map Democrats are targeting. Collins, first elected in 1996, has not been a swing-state Democrat's easiest target, but the party's path to a majority runs through races like this one.

The nominee will face Collins in November. Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate. A Democratic takeover requires flipping four seats while defending every incumbent of their own, a margin that leaves little room for a misstep in any single race.