--- title: The Clip That's Got Democrats Alarmed About Troy Jackson description: A bizarre answer underscores why Democrats fear Troy Jackson isn't ready for a high-stakes Senate race against Susan Collins canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-07-23T11:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-23T18:53:52.476Z article:section: Politics og:title: Debate Moment Captures Democrats' Troy Jackson Jitters og:description: Jackson shares Graham Platner’s ideology but none of his charisma og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc172ed20c5487bda/6a6135d6fae4b75900060674/GettyImages-2285454328.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2285454328.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Debate Moment Captures Democrats' Troy Jackson Jitters twitter:description: Jackson shares Graham Platner’s ideology but none of his charisma twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc172ed20c5487bda/6a6135d6fae4b75900060674/GettyImages-2285454328.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Debate Moment That Captures Democrats’ Worries About Troy Jackson > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Why Graham Platner's Replacement Has Some Democrats Worried [Watch (HLS stream): Why Graham Platner's Replacement Has Some Democrats Worried](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TB2V0w1F.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2026-07-23. Jackson shares Graham Platner’s ideology but none of his charisma_  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Jul 23, 2026 11:00 AM UTC  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Jul 23, 2026 11:00 AM UTC It should have been a layup. Instead, the question illustrated why some Democrats fear they are about to swap out [Graham Platner ](https://time.com/article/2026/07/08/graham-platner-drops-out-of-maine-senate-race-after-series-of-allegations/)with a candidate who's got a completely different set of problems. During last week’s debate among potential Platner replacements, the moderators [asked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MuOr6Nnki0) the field to discuss the kind of oversight of the Trump Administration they would pursue if Democrats gained control of the Senate. Former state Senate leader Troy Jackson didn’t seem to understand the assignment. “I actually come from the same area Susan Collins comes from,” Jackson began, referencing the GOP incumbent Senator he now seems poised to challenge in November. “I’ve been on the ballot with Donald Trump the last three elections. I’ve been on the ballot with Susan Collins. People in my area vote for me because they know that I stand up for working-class people. And I think, in this case, Collins has completely forgotten who she’s representing.” He kept wandering before finding his way back to something closer to the topic at hand: oversight. “As far as something like this, prescription drugs. I mean, I live around the border. I see people in New Brunswick that are going with healthcare, they’re going with prescription drugs, the same drugs that we have, and nobody in D.C. is actually doing anything because the healthcare industry, big pharma, is buying them out and we can’t afford to buy them back.” Other contenders on the stage gave far better answers, but Jackson is the one who is on the cusp of becoming the Democratic nominee in Maine, where the party has its most realistic shot at knocking off an incumbent Republican Senator. Collins is the only Republican incumbent on the ballot this fall hailing from a state Trump lost and after five terms in the Senate, she’s lost the support of many of Maine’s Democrats and independents. Senate Democrats had hoped to run Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her bid before Platner was [forced](https://time.com/article/2026/07/08/graham-platner-drops-out-of-maine-senate-race-after-series-of-allegations/) from the [race](https://time.com/article/2026/06/09/maine-democratic-senate-primary-graham-platner-scandals-susan-collins/) when an ex-girlfriend [accused](https://time.com/article/2026/07/07/race-to-replace-graham-platner-names/) him of rape—an allegation he denies. A free-for-all to replace him quickly settled on Jackson, a former Republican and logger who ran for Governor earlier this year and came in third. Jackson shares Platner’s progressive ideology but none of his charisma. When Jackson and Platner appeared together during their primaries, it was clear who was the headliner. Like the oyster farmer he is set to replace at a state party convention on Saturday, Jackson is closer to the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party than the Chuck Schumer one. (And, for the record, Jackson [says](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/us/politics/troy-jackson-schumer-maine-senate.html) he will not support Schumer’s continued leadership of the party in the Senate.) Democrats, though, are plenty skittish about Jackson. It’s one thing to run a state Senate. It’s another to live under the klieg lights of a marquee U.S. Senate campaign. Collins is a canny politician who won her last campaign by nine points. And she has a much further head start than Jackson, who will have almost no time to build a competent ground game. As a former Republican, Jackson also has a confusing policy [record](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/politics/troy-jackson-maine-senate-democrats-susan-collins-graham-platner) —past opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion, both positions he has since reversed—and little polish. His answer at last week’s debate on oversight was the most obvious example, but he concedes he is no smooth talker. "I know I'm not a polished speaker, and I don't pretend to be,” he [told](https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9F-8rDtzz/) a local radio host in April. “I’m just an everyday person and I don’t put on airs like I’m some highfalutin person. I’m OK with that.” Then there’s Jackson’s personality, which can be abrasive, according to former colleagues who report [tantrums](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/20/democrat-set-replace-platner-maine-led-state-senate-with-temper/) and [outbursts](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/22/how-democratic-candidates-volatility-could-shape-key-senate-race/) involving thrown water bottles. When a campaign’s best [defense](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/20/politics/troy-jackson-maine-senate-anger-allegations-invs) is that he wasn’t throwing things _at_ any one person, it’s a sign that the stories being spread are more than just axe-grinding. For its part, Jackson’s team is trying to put its best spin on his sudden return to the arena. His advisers seem to resort to a single word to describe his leadership style: “passionate.” As a practical matter, since jumping back into politics about two weeks ago, Jackson has [raised](https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/troy-jackson-raises-1-million-maine-senate-01007681) more than $1 million—almost as much as he raised in his entire race for Governor. Of that, more than half has come since he swept a slate of delegates to the state party event this weekend. Collins’ fundraising? She has collected $18 million and ended last month with $11 million in the bank—plus plenty of favors to dangle as the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee. None of this is setting Jackson up for success. Platner’s plain-spoken pitch convinced many in Maine his multiple scandals and inexperience in politics were worth the risk to bring in a new generation of Democrats. Jackson, on the other hand, was first elected to office in 2002\. At 58 years old, no one is mistaking him as the fresh-faced agent of change. Add to that his rough edges and hot temper, and Republicans are optimistic about defending Collins in a state that is, at its core, pretty even-keeled. It’s why Democrats in Washington are currently so queasy about their prospects in Maine, where they fear they’ve just swapped Platner’s baggage with Jackson’s, which may still be tough for voters to accept. ## Transcript Maine Democrats have a new frontman. After Graham Platner ended his campaign following a rape allegation from a former girlfriend, a charge he denies. But the party's replacement is already facing scrutiny of his own. Here's why former state lawmaker Troy Jackson has some Democrats worried in a minute of your time, former state Senate leader Troy Jackson seems to have cleared the field to replace Platner, who under intense pressure, finally ended his bid to defeat veteran GOP Senator Susan Collins. The race in Maine could determine who controls the Senate. For the last two years of President Donald Trump's time in Washington. Jackson's record is one of a far left candidate like Platner, but it's quickly becoming clear he's no. Platner 2.0, where Platner could wow a room. Jackson is far from that charismatic and articulate new voice. Well, I think to your question. I mean, you know, I actually come from the same area. Susan Collins comes from, uh, you know, I've been on the ballot with Donald Trump the last three elections. I've been on the ballot. Susan Collins people in my area vote for me. Jackson placed third in his bid to become the nominee for governor. After all, when Jackson and Platner campaigned together, it was very clear who was the headliner and who was not. Now, new reporting indicates Jackson had anger flare ups during his time in the state Senate. Former colleagues describe him as a hothead and a bully. Not exactly great attributes to bring to a race already featuring allegations of bad behavior, and Republicans are pumped to be running against another far left candidate who. Support for taxing the rich and Medicare for all may not play well in a moderate state like Maine. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/"},"headline":"The Debate Moment That Captures Democrats’ Worries About Troy Jackson","datePublished":"2026-07-23T11:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-23T18:53:52.476Z","description":"Jackson shares Graham Platner’s ideology but none of his charisma","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/the-moment-that-explains-why-troy-jackson-has-democrats-spooked/","keywords":["The D.C. 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