Maine Democrats withdraw from Senate race, back Troy Jackson ahead of July 25 convention

Maine (WABI) - Several high-profile Maine Democratic candidates announced this weekend they are withdrawing from the party’s selection process to replace Graham Platner as its U.S. Senate nominee, with multiple candidates endorsing former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson ahead of the July 25 nomination convention in Bangor.

The Jackson campaign says 481 of the 500 delegates selected by the counties over the weekend support him, though the democratic party says the delegates are not bound to vote for any one candidate and could change their minds.

Bellows withdraws, cites role as Secretary of State

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Sunday she is withdrawing from the race. Her campaign office released a statement saying she would focus exclusively on her role as Secretary of State.

“I am withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race. Donald Trump’s attacks on our democracy are only accelerating, and the best way that I can serve our state and country at this moment is by focusing exclusively on my role as Secretary of State,” Bellows said in the statement. “That energy is exactly what we need to beat Susan Collins in November — and Democrats don’t have a day to waste in unifying around that shared goal.”

Shah suspends campaign, endorses Jackson

Former Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah also announced his withdrawal from the race, suspending his campaign and endorsing Jackson.

“A few weeks ago, I entered this race because I could not accept the idea of Susan Collins gliding to a sixth term at the very moment Maine families are being forced to pay the price for her votes,” Shah said. “Today, I am stepping aside, and I am doing it for exactly the same reason that led me to get in: we must defeat Susan Collins, and the Democratic Party must be unified to do it.”

Shah noted the grassroots activity generated during his campaign, including nearly 1,000 signatures collected in three days, 15,000 phone calls made in one week, and thousands of votes for delegates over the past weekend.

Shah ran against Jackson in the Gubernatorial primaries, receiving the most first-choice votes of any candidate. Both Shah and Jackson ultimately lost to Hannah Pingree after multiple rounds of ranked-choice tabulation.

Wood and Kleban also drop out

Jordan Wood, who ran for Maine’s Second Congressional District seat, also suspended his Senate campaign and endorsed Jackson.

“We are suspending our campaign for US Senate, and I’m proud to endorse my friend, Troy Jackson. To my team and our volunteers, who gave everything around the clock with almost no notice: I am so grateful to you. This fight is bigger than any one person. I’ll see you on the doors this November,” Wood said in a post.

Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban also dropped out of the race. Kleban releasing this statement-

Dan Kleban, also a candidate for U.S. Senate, released the following statement:

“It’s bittersweet that just as we’ve collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, it’s also become clear from the county nominating meetings that we lack a path forward. That’s why I’m ending my campaign for the United States Senate.

“I ran for the Senate because Susan Collins has stopped doing what’s right. For nearly 30 years, she has enabled a system that is rigged against hardworking Mainers. We deserve a senator who fights for us, not one who enables Trump at every turn and does the bidding of her billionaire backers.

“This has been a wild two weeks that I will never forget. I’ve met so many Mainers who share the same desire for a government that works for them and not for the big corporations and billionaires.

“I am deeply grateful to the hardworking staff at the Maine Democratic Party who organized an open, fair process in an unprecedented moment for our state and in a critical race for our country. Together with the candidates, volunteers, delegates, and voters who showed up to nominating meetings this weekend, we’ve seen democracy in action.

“From the very beginning, my focus has been on defeating Susan Collins. I will do whatever I can between now and November to help Troy Jackson finally achieve that goal.”

Political science professor weighs in

Jim Melcher, a political science professor at the University of Maine Farmington, spoke on the latest developments.

“I did not see this coming. I really thought the convention would be a lot more contested than it’s going to be. And tip of the hat to Troy Jackson’s organization. They did one heck of a job. ” Melcher said. “I think part of this was a vote to kind of close ranks. This is going to be the best way to unite the party, this is the best way to have everyone rowing our direction.”

Melcher adds Jackson’s Aroostook County roots could give him an advantage Collins’ previous opponents lacked.

Convention set for July 25 in Bangor

On Saturday, Maine’s 16 counties voted for their delegates to represent them at the convention. The elected delegates will convene at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on July 25 to vote for Platner’s replacement.

The event will be live streamed for the public.