OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
2:30 PM – Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday to form an exploratory committee, positioning himself as the first major Democrat figure to launch a bid to replace embattled U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner.
The filing, which establishes the Troy Jackson Senate Exploratory Committee as a “testing the waters” entity, legally permits Jackson to begin fundraising and gauging statewide viability.
Meanwhile, the sudden political maneuver follows a bombshell report from POLITICO detailing allegations from Jenny Racicot, 41, a woman who previously dated Platner. Racicot told the press this week that the Democrat Senate nominee previously broke into her home and raped her while severely intoxicated in 2021.
The explosive allegation triggered an immediate collapse of support for Platner, 41, a progressive left-wing newcomer who won the state’s Democrat primary in June but has since been entirely disavowed by the national and state party apparatus.
In a joint statement, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, stated, “Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins.”
Other Democrat endorsers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ruben Gallego (R-Ariz.), as well as Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), also rescinded their backing.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who previously stood by Platner through a number of prior scandals, joined the calls for his exit as well, writing on Tuesday, “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
Jackson, 58, a fifth-generation logger, quickly positioned himself on Monday evening as the leading left-wing successor to Platner’s coalition.
In an interview with the Bangor Daily News conducted shortly before he officially demanded the nominee’s resignation, Jackson stated, “This is something I never considered, but if Graham’s stepping away, I am very, very interested and think I’m the best person to replace him.”
Hours later, Jackson took to social media to directly address the nature of the allegations and demand accountability from within his own party.
“There is no place in our politics for sexual violence. Not in our party, not in any party,” Jackson wrote in a post to X. “This is not what we stand for. Not as Democrats, not as Mainers, not as human beings. For too long, women who survive sexual violence have been told to stay quiet, to protect the men who hurt them, to think about the campaign, the party, the cause. We cannot ask women to trust us with their futures while looking the other way when one of our own hurts them. That ends here.”
Facing near-total isolation from his party, Platner has already released a video statement acknowledging the growing pressure on his campaign — while stopping short of an immediate resignation.
“We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” Platner declares in his video message.
Meanwhile, the timing of Jackson’s exploratory bid is dictated by a strict statutory deadline under Maine election law.
Under state law, Platner has until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 13th, to officially withdraw his name from the general election ballot. If he misses that date, he cannot be replaced. If he meets it, the Maine Democrat Party has until 5:00 p.m. on July 27th to formally select and submit a new nominee to challenge Collins.
While a “Draft Troy” movement orchestrated by Jackson’s allies gained rapid momentum on Tuesday morning, the selection process remains volatile. Other Maine Democrats, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health chief Nirav Shah, are being discussed as potential replacements as well, sources say, though neither has taken a formal step matching Jackson’s FEC filing.
In response to the rapid maneuvering, the Maine Democrat Party issued a statement on Monday designed to temper intra-party “jockeying,” asserting that in the event of a vacancy, the selection process will be “open, transparent, and inclusive” and not “selected by an individual campaign.”
Additionally, according to insider sources who reached out to the New York Post, Platner appears to be holding the Democrat Party hostage by refusing to drop out — unless he gets to approve his successor to run for the Senate.
“A source familiar with the campaign discussions said Platner, his campaign and political strategist Morris Katz are deliberating about the Maine Democrat dropping out but only if his replacement has the same anti-Israel, left-wing values that he does,” The Post reported.
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