Troy Jackson, a progressive former candidate for governor who was an ally of Graham Platner during his campaign, formally launched a bid to succeed him on Wednesday evening.
“I’ve been fighting for that movement my whole life — and I’m sure as hell not backing down now, when this fight is needed most,” Jackson said on X.
A logger who hails from the far-northern part of the state, Jackson has deep ties to organized labor and was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during his run for governor.
Jackson’s statement Wednesday evening was a formality; he had already filed exploratory paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and has been actively campaigning.
The former state Senate president has already nabbed a handful of endorsements and is picking up steam among progressives. A flash poll conducted by Platner’s campaign and published by POLITICO showed Jackson with a slight lead against Sen. Susan Collins, though it was a one-day survey which isn’t the most accurate way to poll.
Jackson quickly condemned Platner and called on him to drop out on Monday. On Wednesday, Jackson sought to further distance himself from Platner by deleting old social media posts that included him.
