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Democratic senators are still backing Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson, who replaced former candidate Graham Platner on the ballot, after the latest allegations threaten to yet again shake up the race for U.S. Senate in the Pine Tree State.
Platner, following a series of scandals culminating in sexual misconduct claims, was forced to drop out ahead of the Democratic primary to take on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, earlier this summer. But now, a bombshell report claims Platner’s replacement fathered two children with his second cousin.
The recent report wasn’t enough to turn lawmakers against Jackson, with most stressing the necessity for Democrats to win swing state races in order to win back a majority in the upper chamber — not an easy feat in Maine where Collins, a moderate, has represented the state in the Senate since 1997.
Maine’s other senator, independent Angus King, said: “I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m not going to comment on it anyway.”
Troy Jackson speaks as he became the Maine Democratic Party’s choice to be their U.S. Senate nominee to replace Graham Platner on the ballot in November on July 25, 2026, in Bangor, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Every senator that Digital spoke with on the issue this week denied having knowledge of the report.
“I don’t know anything about that, but what I do know is that we have got to elect Democrats up and down the ballot,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., told Digital.
“I haven’t heard of these reports,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., echoed. “Troy Jackson is somebody who’s obviously in this fight for working people.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., ignored the crux of the question. “I think it’s super important that we win that seat so that we can put an end to the wild cost increases and rampant corruption that the Senate right now is indulging,” he said.
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The Maine Wire editor Steven Robinson first reported last week that Jackson shares two children with his second cousin, Lana Pelletier. In posting the genealogical findings, the independent journalist claimed Pelletier’s father is a cousin of Jackson’s mother.
The report made waves after Jackson received 94% of the 601 delegate votes in the process this summer to replace Platner, who dropped out of the race after a rape allegation finally forced his Democrat allies to turn against him. Platner denied the claim, among others made against him, but ultimately it was the nail in the coffin that resulted in him ending his bid for U.S. Senate before the deadline for Democrats to get a new candidate on the Maine primary ballot.
Without directly denying the report, Jackson’s campaign said in a previous statement to Digital that it was an attack comping from the Collins camp.
“Susan Collins will do anything to distract from the fact that she votes with Trump 96% of the time and has sold out working people in Maine. Personal attacks on Troy’s family are shameful and desperate,” the statement read.
Jackson’s campaign did not respond to Digital’s request for additional comment on the reporting.
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Sen. Jon Ossoff, a D-Ga., speaks to members of the media during the opening of the Democratic Party of Georgia’s South DeKalb Field Office and canvass kick off in Decatur, Georgia on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Georgia’s Senate race is seen as a must win for Democrats if they are to have any path toward retaking the Senate in November. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Haven’t seen it,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said when asked on Capitol Hill about the reports.
Ossoff initially avoided saying whether he’d back Jackson. Instead, he pointed to Michigan’s Democratic race, which the far-left progressive Abdul El-Sayed won on Wednesday, before addressing his support for Jackson.
“I’m supporting our nominee in Michigan,” Ossoff replied when asked if he will be endorsing Jackson. “In Maine, we’ll see who wins.”
Many senators credited their support for Jackson and other Democrat candidates running for office as a broader effort to target Republicans and their agendas — both within the Donald Trump administration and in Congress.
“We have a president who today, again, has no strategic plan about getting us out of that war in Iran, where our children are dying on the battlefield while his are getting rich,” Alsobrooks said.
A recent Poll found that 56% of voters oppose U.S. military action against Iran, with 40% strongly opposing the war, indicating the ongoing conflict might play a role in how voters show up at in November.
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Alsobrooks said she is supporting the Democratic nominee “in every single state,” again indirectly backing Jackson, to ensure her party takes back the majority in Congress.
“I’m supporting whoever the nominee, in every single state, the Democratic nominee,” Alsobrooks said. “We are going to have to take back the House and take back the Senate as well so that we can bring down the cost of living, get people healthcare again.”
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“That is what is important right now to the American people, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
