BANGOR (Maine) – On Saturday, the race to replace former candidate Graham Platner is expected to come to an abrupt end as Maine Democrats will quickly nominate Troy Jackson to be their party nominee for the highly-charged Senate battle with Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Jackson, a state Senate President, has a good chance of replacing Platner in Bangor at the Maine Democratic Party’s nominating convention. He won the overwhelming majority of voting delegates selected last weekend by Democrats from the 16 counties in northern New England. Jackson’s main rivals for the position of replacing Platner have backed him, after they dropped out in recent days. This leaves only one candidate who is a long shot to be considered by delegates at the Maine Democratic Party nominating convention.
This race for the Senate in Maine is one of a dozen showdowns in midterm elections across the nation that will decide if Republicans can hold on to their narrow majority, or if Democrats win control of the chamber.
In a post on social media, Jackson, a former conservative Republican and now Democrat, who hails from the northernmost tip of Maine, said: “Let’s work together to defeat Susan Collins, and create the Maine the working people deserve.”
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Jackson raised more than $1 million in a short time for his Senate campaign, and he was able to rally the support of all parties. However, some warning signs are emerging.
After reports in this week examining Jackson’s alleged temperament and work conduct, as well as reported allegations of mortgage improprieties, as well as potential liabilities such as his strict anti-abortion stance from the past, some Democrats are concerned that after the Platner debacle, Democrats may have landed yet another nominee who has not been vetted.
Fox News Digital reported that “This is something of a rocket-vetting process” by a Democratic Strategist who works in Senate elections, but who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely. The Maine Democrats seem to have made their decision and will have to accept it.
According to a veteran Democratic consultant, who asked to remain anonymous, “it is very clear that Democrats shouldn’t be looking at Maine as a way to flip the Senate”.
The consultant who advises centrist Democratic Senate Candidates said, “The good thing is we can make a big impact in Texas, Iowa and Alaska.”
Platner’s campaign, which was launched in August last year by Platner — a combat veteran, an oyster farmer, and a progressive senator from Vermont, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, caught fire quickly. The two-term Democratic Governor. Janet Mills was recruited to run by Sen. Chuck Schumer, the longtime Democratic Senate Leader, in order to be the Senate candidate. She suspended her campaign in spring, after falling behind Platner on fundraising and polls.
Five Things to Know About TROY Jackson, Who’s about to replace GRAHAM PLATNER as the Democrats’ Senate Nominee
Platner was forced to defend himself after a series of scandals, even though he swept aside the Democratic establishment in Maine and won the primary last month.
Platner stepped down earlier this month amid demands from leading Democrats across Maine and the United States to withdraw immediately from the race after an explosive report containing a claim of rape by a woman he had previously dated. Platner did not deny the allegations but stepped down.
Jackson, the unsuccessful candidate for Democratic gubernatorial nominee, ran alongside Platner in the primaries. He quickly became the candidate of choice for the populist and progressive movement which had backed Platner.
Jackson, like Platner is also running with a program aimed at the working class. Jackson supports raising taxes on the billionaires and the “Medicare for All” universal healthcare system. He also opposes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Jackson is being backed by Our Revolution in his Senate bid, a group that was born out of Sanders’ first presidential campaign in 2016.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Republican who is a progressive leader in the House, and a possible Democratic candidate for president in 2028, had been a strong supporter of Platner. Khanna supported Jackson quickly in the race to replace Platner this month.
Jackson is backed by the labor unions of Maine. Jackson’s victory was largely due to the labor support, as well as the backing of Platner’s former supporters.
At the convention, the 500 delegates selected last weekend along with the 101 delegates from the state party will cast their votes for the candidate. Jackson is not obliged to have his delegates support him in the convention. However, it’s considered that he will be nominated.
Republicans claim that Democrats stacked their decks to support Jackson as Platner’s replacement.
In a Fox News Digital statement, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kristen Cianci claimed that “Maine voters were shut out” by the Democrat Establishment with a rigged nomination process. Platner was crowned without a vote ever being cast.
Collins faces a tough political environment for Republicans as she seeks a six-year Senate term. This is due to the low approval rating of Republican President Donald Trump, a persistent inflation rate and a war against Iran that polls show is unpopular.
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Last month, the senator who is known for being a conservative moderate Republican, and has at times voted against Trump received praise from both parties after she reached a landmark by voting in her 10,000th Senate session.
Democrats have targeted Collins for her remarks that she did not regret voting to confirm Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, despite Kavanaugh’s crucial vote four year later, to overturn Roe v. Wade.
After the deadly shooting that occurred in Maine this past month involving federal agents of immigration, Democrats heavily criticized Senate Appropriations Committee Chair for her support for ICE funds.
Collins is a proven winner when it comes to defeating Democratic efforts to remove her from the Senate.
She was behind Democratic opponent Sara Gideon six years ago. Sara Gideon had been the speaker of the Maine House at the time. But the Senator won reelection with a margin of nearly nine points.
Both sides will spend a lot of money on advertising in the Senate Showdown, which is set to be a competitive and combustible battle.
This week, Fox News released its first Power Rankings for the midterm elections of 2026, which use data, analysis and reporting to gauge how competitive the election is. They also rank the Maine showdown as a coin toss.
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On Saturday, Democrats will gather in Bangor to formally nominated a candidate for the U.S. Senate. The party is looking to get past the scandals that plagued Graham Platner’s campaign and refocus on unseating Republican incumbent Susan Collins.
This is a Senate race with great political significance. Democrats must win four Senate seats in order to regain control this fall. Party officials view the Maine contest as their best opportunity.
The race was thrown in turmoil this month after Platner ended his campaign. A woman he had dated before came forward to accuse him of raping and assaulting her back in 2021. Platner denies the accusation but the Democrats were stung by it after months of controversy.
After a rushed and chaotic search, Maine Democrats hope to unite behind a candidate that can capture the energy and momentum from the Platner campaigns.
Troy Jackson is the apparent frontrunner going into Saturday’s convention. Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has won the support of most of the elected delegates that will vote for his nominee. Nearly all of his main rivals have dropped out.
Maintaining Platner’s movements, without baggage
Jackson, a fifth generation logger in northern Maine is running with an economic populist campaign that echoes what Platner emphasized during his election. Jackson rejects the Democratic establishment, focuses on affordability, and supports policies such as Medicare for all, and raises taxes on large corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
Jackson, like other progressive candidates to the left of him, wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and end U.S. Military Aid to Israel. Jackson is also calling for Congress to pass civil right legislation to protect LGBTQ Americans, and to federalize the abortion rights. He has changed his mind on these issues after initially taking a conservative position.
Stacy Brenner, a Democrat state senator from California, said that Jackson’s past with reproductive rights was not a reason to support him.
What I like about policymakers and legislators is that they can evolve when it comes to where they put their minds, their hearts, and their data, and they listen to stories from their constituents. Brenner is a former farmer and nurse.
She added, “That is what has happened to Troy.”
Jackson’s supporters are proud of his long tenure in Maine politics and his roots as a blue-collar worker. Jackson has received little public criticism from the state’s leaders, even though recent reports in The Washington Post (and CNN) described him as having a temper when he was in office.
The nominee faces a tough journey
Collins, who is in his fifth term of office, has been challenged before by other candidates. However Democrats believe that Collins’ vulnerability this year will be greater than ever. Collins is running in the state that Kamala Harrs carried in 2024. She also runs at a time when voters are dissatisfied with President Trump’s economic policies and war against Iran.
Even if Jackson can claim nomination, it will be a tough road to victory. He has only 100 days left before the voting closes on November 3 to raise money and convince voters of his position.
Collins is one of the oldest Republican senators. Collins has been in her Senate seat for over 30 years and reports $11 million cash available, according to the latest Federal Election Commission documents.
Jackson’s campaign claims to have momentum. It has raised more than $1,000,000 since Jackson announced his candidacy.
Jackson, in a Wednesday statement, said that the campaign was driven by those who were tired of seeing billionaires and companies buy influence at the expense of working families.
Together, we are building the grassroots campaign that will be needed to beat Susan Collins and elect a Senator for Maine who is accountable to working class people.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – The Trump Administration has admitted in court documents it canceled 7,6 billion dollars in grants for clean energy projects based on “single political identity” of the recipient state. In this case 16 states that voted Democrat Kamala in 2024.
This statement is contrary to the repeated claims of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and other officials who claimed that these projects were cancelled because they failed to meet the energy requirements for the country or that there was some other problem that rendered them an inefficient investment.
Democrats and environmental organizations seized the Friday court filing, claiming that the administration “weaponized the federal government” to punish workers and kill good jobs because of political beliefs.
Democrats claim that what used to be deemed ‘obvious,’ is now being acknowledged
Rep. Marcy Kaptey of Ohio, and Sen. Patty Murray from Washington State said that “this administration now has admitted in court the long-known truth: It terminated almost 300 energy cost-saving projects without any other reason than because the states in which they were located did not vote in the presidential election of 2024.” They are both high-ranking Democrats in the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, respectively.
Kaptur and Murray stated that “weaponizing federal government in this way is un-American and hardworking families are already suffering with high costs and this corruption abuse of power.”
The Democrats called for Republican members of Congress to hold the Trump Administration “accountable” for its failure to protect all Americans.
Energy Department terminated 321 awards of funding across 223 project last October, stating that they had not “adequately advanced the nation’s needs for energy or were not financially viable.”
These cuts are part of President Donald Trump’s broader attack on clean energy and climate programs. They have reduced federal funding for projects that build battery plants and develop hydrogen technologies, as well as those to upgrade the electrical grid and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Russell Vought (White House Budget Director) highlighted these cuts in a post on social media, stating that money was “being cancelled to fuel the Left’s climate agenda.”
A request for comment was not responded to immediately by the Energy Department.
Projects of many different states have been cut
California, Colorado and Connecticut were among the states that saw projects cut. Other affected areas included Massachusetts, Minnesota New Hampshire, New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Vermont Washington. Wright, who represents all 16 states targeted by Harris’s campaign, said that the cutbacks were business decisions based on the project’s value to taxpayers.
More than two dozen Democratic Members of Congress led by California Senators challenged the cuts immediately in court. Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren wrote to Energy Department acting inspector general asking for a formal inquiry. In December, the department’s internal monitor launched an investigation.
In a late-year court filing, government lawyers confirmed that in reality the choice of grants was “influenced” by if a grantee’s address is located in an State which tends to vote for Democratic candidates at state and federal elections (so called “Blue States “).”
This filing was made in an independent lawsuit filed by Clean Energy groups and St. Paul City, Minnesota over the cancelled funding. Thakur v. Trump, a lawsuit that has been going on since spring last year, made the most recent admission. Federal attorneys acknowledged using keywords such as diversity, COVID-19, vaccination hesitancy, and gender to identify projects which ran counter to the priorities of Trump’s administration.
Holly Bender is the chief program officer at the Sierra Club. She said that the recent court filing showed that “the Trump Administration brazenly admitted to a vindictive attitude towards cancelling needed energy infrastructure, which ignores job losses, increased bills and air pollution that are being experienced by people everywhere”.

Zelensky counts costs and tries to resolve the crisis surrounding the removal of Defence Minister
Ukraine’s political crisis should be over now that an interim defence minister is in place, and there is a new Commander-in-Chief in charge of its military.
But not so fast.
As part of the cabinet reshuffle on 15 July, President Volodymyr Zelensky decided not to reappoint Mykhailo Federorov as Defence Minister. The fallout continues to echo around Kyiv, and even beyond. Air raid sirens blare and Russian missiles and drones are being intercepted above.
Fedorov’s mostly younger supporters continue to mount daily protests in the streets, demanding Zelensky restores this popular young inventor widely credited for driving most of Ukraine’s recent technological innovations.
Fedorov announced on Thursday that he rejected Zelensky’s offer of alternative positions in the government. He said there are only three posts worth holding to be able to affect the outcome of war, namely the position of minister of defense, the commander-in chief of the military, or the president of Ukraine.
Alina Frolova, a former deputy defence minister, said: “You don’t even have the authority to act if you do not have a department under your control.”
Fedorov’s mention of the presidency was not unnoticed. Is this a first sign of the former minister seeing himself as Zelensky’s rival?
A former official in the defence suggested that he had become a serious candidate for president the minute he was fired.
How useful is it for you to be so ahead of the game when the war in Ukraine has not yet ended and there are no scheduled elections? Ukraine’s Constitution still prohibits wartime elections.
One opposition MP, who asked to remain anonymous, told me that “He is being childish.”
He’s trying to advance his political career which, in my opinion is stupid given the current circumstances.
Zelensky’s backers say he has done a lot to solve the crisis. This is especially true in the case of the controversial commander-in chief, Oleksandr Sryskyi.
He finally chose Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapayi (43), a former commander highly respected of Ukraine’s Land Forces.
Former government advisor Yuriy Sa told BBC this week that he had consulted “pretty much all the significant figures in the Ukrainian Army”.
The decision that General Drapatyi has made is well-informed, and I fully support it, because he is a modern, young general with a proven track record of battles who, we hope, will bring our defenses to an entirely new level.
Drapatyi’s appointment is generally welcomed but it represents only a partial solution by a President scrambling for a way to fix the damage caused after Fedorov was removed.
Zelensky, a young president who’s apparent dynamism and youth propelled him into power in 2019 seems to have misjudged what the mood was amongst Ukrainians. They want their leaders, both political and military, to reflect their values and ambitions.
Oleksandr Merezhko is an MP for Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party.
People want something similar in the politics they think is dirty and hypocritical. “They need heroes.”
Merezhko, however, agrees with Fedorov that his ambitions, and the almost mythical, popular status he enjoyed, may have led to Fedorov’s downfall. This is especially true for a President who has a history of marginalizing those whom he perceives as rivals.
Merezhko quotes Robert Greene’s self-help work The 48 Laws of Power, published in 1998.
The majority of analysts are in agreement that the reshuffle last week had one main purpose: To shrink Fedorov. Zelensky’s strategy seems to have failed.
Merezhko claims that “his removal led to the exact opposite result.” His rating skyrocketed. “Just soared.”
Some question whether Fedorov’s reputation for commitment, creativity and ambition is justified.
The point out that the minister of defence has very little influence on day to day operations.
A former European Defence official stated that “the energy and clarity brought by him to his job were impressive, and he displayed immense personal courage.” The innovation culture will continue to thrive regardless. “It’s not just one person, but 2,000 businesses.”
Unidentified opposition MPs were more direct.
He said that “ninety nine per cent” of the young people on his street had no idea how the Ministry of Defence operated, or how the General Staff was operating.
They think Fedorov was good because he wanted to use drones to fight and Syrskyi, was bad because Syrskyi looked for other people to fight. This is a drastic simplification that’s totally incorrect.”
It’s understandable that a nation so exhausted from 12 years of conflict with Russia would be tempted to do this. Why would anyone want to think that robots or drones could do the job better than someone from their own family who was conscripted in the streets of their own town?
All agree that Ukraine must put behind this toxic political episode before the summer turns to fall and prepares for another Russian attack on its power grid.
Zelensky, a Telegram user on Thursday, said: “We must prepare how we are going to get through winter.”
The majority of the experts and politicians interviewed in this article agree that, while this incident continues to damage President Zelensky’s reputation and authority on the battlefield, Ukraine will not suffer significant losses.
I hope that the damage is minimal.

According to court documents, the Trump administration acknowledged that they terminated almost 300 federal grants for research “simply because” these projects were linked to states which voted against Donald Trump in 2020 and also had two Democratic Senators.
In a response to a suit brought against the cancellation by University of California scientists, the administration admitted this in court documents filed earlier this month.
The administration stated in the document that it was a fact, undisputed, that 624 of the 2,300 grants awarded by the Department of Energy were marked as “termination”, or even “cancelled”.
Jeff Novak wrote in an October 2025 letter that the Office of Management and Budget had identified that 284 of those 624 grant were to be cancelled.
Novak noted that, with only one exception: “the terminated 284 grants all had at least one recipient and/or place of performance located in an state which awarded its electoral vote to Kamala in 2024 and also has two Democratic Senators.”
Novak said that the 340 remaining grants, which were proposed to be terminated in October 2025 and since then, have not been canceled.
Novak, in her description of unterminated grants, wrote that “all such grants were either located in an area where the recipient was or had at least one location of performance within a state which awarded their electoral votes in 2024 to Donald Trump and/or has at least a Republican-supporting Senator.”
Novak stated that his decision to cancel 284 grants in the notice of October was “not based on any programmatic or statutory factor, nor cost reduction, performance, or other factors.”
Novak stated that “DOE acknowledges the fact that inclusion in the October notification tranche of grant recipients was solely based on their political identity, which is whether they resided in a Blue State, or not.
The Department of Energy, he said, “won’t contend” that they looked at the geographic or political distribution of grant recipients downstream of those who received the funds.
The New York Times was the first to report this.
White House didn’t immediately reply to an inquiry for comment.
In a Friday statement, the Department of Energy claimed that filings in court did not prove that decisions to terminate were made based on political considerations.
Ben Dietderich said, in a press release, “That’s a misrepresentation both of the court documents and Mr. Novak’s words.” “None were the decisions to terminate based on politics.” This has been explained by Secretary Wright in numerous briefings at Capitol Hill.”
Chris Wright, Energy secretary, denied in a June appearance before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee that grant cancellation decisions were made based on partisanship.
No decisions on political issues were taken. This is something I hear all the time. Wright said, “It’s a bunch of bulls—t.
When the 284 grants in question were cancelled in October by OMB director Russ Vought, he wrote: “Nearly 8 billion dollars in Green New Scam financing to fuel the Left’s climate agenda are being cancelled.”
Vought listed the 16 states in which projects have been canceled. These include California, New York and Colorado as well as Vermont, New Jersey, New Jersey and others.
This filing was made at the same time that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a rule that would give political appointees unprecedented control of the federal grant money of $1 trillion annually.
According to the office, the purpose of the rule is to align grants with the priorities of the president and improve oversight. According to the rule, political appointees will screen grant applications for “anti-American values” and can terminate any grants that they deem “nolonger in Federal Government interest”.
Trump’s administration has targeted a number of funds, including the 284 grants that the Department of Energy canceled.
The administration, since Trump’s second term began, has cancelled grants that included mentions of DEI. It has also frozen funding for research at Harvard and other universities based on accusations of antisemitism.