Progressive Troy Jackson isn't just ahead in Maine's scramble to replace fallen Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner—he's lapping the field. The former state Senate president and logger from Allagash dominated the first day of hastily organized delegate elections on Saturday, with Jackson-aligned candidates winning a large majority of the 319 delegate slots filled across eight counties, including a sweep of populous Cumberland County, reports Politico. Backed by more than a dozen unions and a sophisticated ground game, Jackson now enters Sunday's final county caucuses as the clear favorite over rivals Nirav Shah and Shenna Bellows, who emerged with only a handful of delegates each.
The delegates are being chosen ahead of a party convention next week. The fast-tracked process—built in the two weeks after Platner exited the race following a sexual assault allegation he denied—has been messy, with confusion over delegate slates and complaints from would-be delegates who felt shut out. Delegates aren't formally bound, leaving room for late persuasion, but Jackson now has what the New York Times calls an "imposing lead." He was confident enough to plan a tailgate for Sunday's caucus and to tell supporters they had "smoked it" on day one. The stakes are national: The winner will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, and control of the Senate may hinge on the outcome.
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