Maine Democrats settle on Troy Jackson as Senate nominee after chaotic primary shakeup

Maine Democrats have chosen Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president, as their nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, wrapping up a chaotic scramble that began when earlier frontrunner Graham Platner exited the race following a rape allegation he denies.

Delegates gathered at a convention in Bangor and backed Jackson by a wide margin after he had already consolidated support from rival campaigns in the weeks leading up to the vote. His only remaining opponent, healthcare executive Saundra Pelletier, received a handful of votes.

In his remarks to delegates, Jackson argued that decades of Collins in office have amounted to caution rather than results, and framed the race as a choice between comfort and a genuine fighter for working Mainers.

Party members at the convention voiced mixed feelings about how quickly the field narrowed around Jackson, but most said they were eager to unite behind a single candidate with roughly 100 days left before the general election. Jackson's platform includes expanding public health coverage, restructuring immigration enforcement, and raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

He has also faced scrutiny over past reports of angry outbursts during his time in the state Senate, which his campaign has acknowledged while saying he has taken responsibility for his conduct. Collins, for her part, has largely avoided engaging directly with Jackson so far, though she has referred to him dismissively as tied to the party's progressive wing — a label his supporters reject.

Some information for this report was gathered via edition.cnn.com.