He lost the governor’s primary, then got picked as a last-minute replacement with 566 of 571 votes; 100 days later Troy Jackson unseated Susan Collins

Troy Jackson’s path to the US Senate took an unexpected turn in 2026. After losing the Democratic primary for governor, the former Maine Senate president got another chance when the party needed a replacement candidate for its Senate race. He won that nomination with 566 of 571 delegate votes. Just over 100 days later, Jackson had defeated longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, according to NBC News projections. His rapid rise began with a political setback and ended with one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

How did Troy Jackson get another chance after losing the governor’s primary?

Jackson had spent years trying to secure his party’s nomination for higher office. Earlier in 2026, he ran for governor but finished third behind winner Hannah Pingree and Nirav Shah. His opportunity came after Graham Platner, who had won the Democratic Senate primary on June 9 with more than 156,000 votes, withdrew from the race on July 10. Platner stepped aside after a Maine woman accused him of rape. He denied the allegation.


With a July 27 deadline approaching, Maine Democrats had little time to select a replacement. The party organised a special convention in Bangor, bringing together delegates from across the state.

Jackson quickly became the leading choice. Several other candidates withdrew and backed him, leaving him to face biopharmaceutical executive Saundra Pelletier.

Why did Troy Jackson win 566 of 571 delegate votes?

The special convention took place on July 25 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Jackson received 566 votes, while Pelletier secured five. The result followed weeks of organising at county-level meetings, where Jackson had built strong support among delegates. He also had backing from Maine labour unions and was considered the candidate most politically aligned with Platner. After the result, Jackson called the nomination the greatest honour of his life.

“This is the absolute honor of my life to accept the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate,” he told delegates.

He also promised to stand up for working people.

“If you’ve ever been ignored, underestimated, pushed around or told you have to wait your turn while the rich cut the line, I’m asking you to stand with us in this campaign,” he said.

Maine Democratic Party chair Charlie Dingman described the unusual nomination process as “somewhere between a highwire act and a moonlanding.”

From a failed governor’s campaign to a Senate victory

Jackson’s political career had not been without setbacks. He lost the Democratic primary for Maine’s second congressional district in 2014 and also lost a 2023 selectboard election in his hometown, even while serving in the state Senate. A fifth-generation logger from Allagash, Jackson first became involved in politics through a protest against the hiring of Canadian loggers by US landowners. He later served nearly 20 years in the Maine Legislature and was president of the state Senate from 2018 to 2024.

His campaign against Collins focused on working people, labour rights and the rising cost of housing and health care. He also tried to connect the Republican senator to President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings had become a major issue in the campaign.

Collins had a considerable financial advantage. Her supporting committees held $22 million at the end of June, according to Federal Election Commission data cited in the supplied report. Jackson, meanwhile, had to build his campaign almost from scratch, although his team said he raised $1 million before securing the nomination.

Jackson defeats Collins after a 100-day campaign

The result came on November 3, roughly 100 days after Jackson received the Democratic nomination. NBC News projected him as the winner, ending Collins’ bid for a sixth Senate term. She had first been elected in 1996 and represented Maine for nearly 30 years. Jackson’s victory also gave Democrats another important Senate seat as they worked to secure control of the chamber. His campaign had started with an unexpected opening after Platner’s withdrawal, but he managed to turn that opportunity into a statewide win.

For Jackson, the journey from losing the governor’s primary to defeating a long-serving senator was a remarkable change in fortunes. The man who had once needed another chance from his party will now represent Maine in Washington. The information is taken from The Maine Monitor, NBC News and ABC 13 News.