Troy Jackson, Hannah Pingree appeal to workers at Labor Day breakfast

Jackson, Pingree Rally Labor Crowd in Portland on Labor Day

Portland, Sept. 7, 2026 – Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate and governor, Troy Jackson and Hannah Pingree, used Labor Day’s opening ceremony at the Southern Maine Labor Council’s annual breakfast to rally support from the state’s workforce and underscore their policy agendas.

The breakfast, held inside the Maine Elks Lodge in downtown Portland, drew a packed room of union members, elected officials and community leaders. Speakers ranged from the candidates themselves to labor leaders who highlighted the stakes of this election cycle for workers across Maine.

Jackson, the 58‑year‑old logger who has served as Senate President, called the event “the most well‑attended in recent memory.” He focused on three pillars he says will address the cost of living: lowering prescription drug prices, strengthening Social Security benefits and raising the minimum wage to $20 a hour. “I learned a long time ago that working people can win fights that nobody expects us to win when we stand together and when the people we elect remember whose side they’re supposed to be on,” he told the crowd. The audience responded with enthusiastic cheers, including a shouted refrain of “We’re with you, Troy.”

Pingree, the former speaker of the Maine House and former chief of staff to Gov. Janet Mills, spoke about her plan to cut housing and healthcare costs and to create a senior adviser dedicated to labor issues if elected governor. She emphasized a commitment to workers that she said would shape her cabinet choices.

Labor leaders at the breakfast reinforced the candidates’ focus on workers’ rights. Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL‑CIO, noted the “high stakes” of the election year and urged the crowd to view the campaign as a way to “beat authoritarianism” and deliver tangible benefits for the working class. “The next most important thing is to deliver for working people,” Schlobohm said.

Mark Brunton, president of SEIU Local 1989, explained that Jackson’s platform aligns with the “Contract with Maine’s Working Class,” a policy document developed from surveys of thousands of union members. Brunton said the breakfast’s turnout was the result of years of collaboration on that contract. He added that voters who see a clear record of protecting workers—such as Jackson’s own proposals—are more likely to support him.

John Cabral III, a shop steward at Bath Iron Works, expressed excitement about the candidates’ promises to keep workers’ wages and housing in check. He cited the shipyard’s recent 17 % wage hike and the new contract that guarantees annual raises through 2031. Cabral said the challenge now is to translate those wage gains into affordable housing for the crew.

In the same vein, the campaign for independent gubernatorial candidate Rick Bennett said he would remain “relentlessly focused on delivering results” on rising energy and healthcare costs that affect Mainers.

Opposing candidates issued counter‑remarks. The campaign for incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins released an email criticizing Jackson for his record as Senate President. The message accused him of contributing to Maine’s highest electric rate increases and the state’s most aggressive income‑based property taxes. Collins’ communications director, Blake Kernen, pointed to these policies as evidence that Jackson had “exacerbated” the very affordability problems he now promises to solve.

Similarly, Bobby Charles’s campaign manager, Dale Crafts Jr., questioned Pingree’s record during her time in the Legislature and in the Mills administration, suggesting that her policies had increased the cost of living. Crafts wrote, “Past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.”

Despite the partisan critiques, the tone of the breakfast remained largely focused on the candidates’ pledges to lift Maine’s workforce. Attendees said they left the event feeling energized and prepared to cast their ballots in the upcoming fall elections.

The Southern Maine Labor Council noted that the breakfast was the most heavily attended event in its history, a testament to the growing mobilization of Maine’s workers ahead of the 2026 election cycle. As the campaign season heats up, Jackson and Pingree appear to have secured a solid base of support among union members and labor leaders—an essential constituency for any candidate seeking statewide office.