Is Troy Jackson ineligible to run for Senate because he also ran for governor? | Fact brief
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No.
Maine law does not bar Troy Jackson from running for U.S. Senate in November because he sought the Democratic nomination for governor in June.
One statute prohibits filing for more than one federal, state or county office “at any election.” But it expressly exempts nominations to fill vacancies. The law allowed Democrats to choose a replacement for Graham Platner, who won the Senate primary, after he withdrew on July 10.
State Rep. James White, R-Guilford, called for an investigation into Jackson’s eligibility in a July 24 letter to the secretary of state’s office.
A spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office did not respond to a request for comment, but an official list that the office released Monday records Jackson as Platner’s replacement.
“Republicans are so worried that Susan Collins is about to lose, they’re resorting to cheap tricks,” Jackson spokesperson BJ McCollister said of White’s letter.
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Sources
- Maine Revised Statutes: Primary required
- Maine Revised Statutes: General election candidates; vacancy
- WGME: Maine Republican claims Troy Jackson is ineligible to run for US Senate
- Maine Department of the Secretary of State: Candidate Withdrawals and Replacement Candidate Nominations after the June 9, 2026 Primary
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Tagged: election 2026, governor's race 2026, senate race 2026, Troy Jackson
