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Democrats have a new candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine: Troy Jackson. In one of the country's most closely-watched races, he'll have less than 100 days to make his case.
Transcript
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Democrats in Maine have a new candidate for Senate. His name is Troy Jackson. Jackson will square off this fall against longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins in just one of a handful of races that could decide which party wins the majority. NPR's Elena Moore reports on what this moment in Maine says about the state of the Democratic Party with election day less than a hundred days out.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: It's a sunny day in Augusta, Maine, and Nancy Marshall stands at the corner of a busy intersection.
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NANCY MARSHALL: It's interesting. It's a Mainer who's honking at somebody from out of state, unfortunately. It's like, no, we should be welcoming those people.
MOORE: She's lived in Maine since she was a teenager, saying it's her forever home. She says these last few weeks have been hard for her state. Earlier this month, the Democrats' original nominee, Graham Platner, suspended his campaign after a woman he once dated accused him of rape. Platner has denied the allegation.
MARSHALL: In my mind, that isn't the way democracy should be. It shouldn't hurt so many people.
MOORE: The Platner allegation sent shockwaves throughout Maine. And though Marshall says she's not sure who to vote for this November, a lot of folks had already made up their minds before Platner dropped out, especially a lot of Democrats who had grown disappointed with party leaders in Washington and were fired up by Platner's antiestablishment populist message. Lynn Heasley of Belfast, Maine, was one of those supporters.
LYNN HEASLEY: I feel like candidates that are more progressive have a difficult time succeeding and don't get the backing from the Democratic leadership that they should, because those are the people that are going to win. Those are the people that speak to the people, and I think the Democratic Party's forgotten that.
MOORE: Heasley's views echo the frustration of many voters on the political left, and some question whether Jackson has the same ability to message on the issues most important to progressives who are hungry for change within their party. It's a concern that Jackson tried to address in Bangor this weekend after winning the party nomination.
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TROY JACKSON: I know that there's differences. I mean, you know, I'm not a show horse. I'm a workhorse, and I have a record to back that up.
MOORE: He supports a lot of the same issues Platner ran on, like Medicare for all and boosting unions and workers' rights. If elected, he also says he wouldn't support New York Senator Chuck Schumer as Democratic majority leader. Plus, he's touting his blue-collar roots as a fifth-generation logger from rural northern Maine, something he says voters can connect to. Lincoln Tiner is one of the delegates who voted for Jackson.
LINCOLN TINER: You know, we need someone like Troy representing us because he gets us.
MOORE: He doesn't trust establishment Democrats, but Jackson?
TINER: Oh, I definitely trust him. I think it's just, like, the politicians with a capital P that are still up at the top, they're not those sorts of folks.
MOORE: High costs are top of mind for voters around the country, and many say they're unhappy with the current political system. Back in Augusta, at a local coffee shop, Sam Wiswell says he's looking for a Democratic candidate who can actually make Maine more affordable.
SAM WISWELL: Just giving Maine back to Mainers. I've definitely watched it change.
MOORE: The state is nicknamed Vacationland. And though Wiswell says out-of-towners are welcome, it's driven up prices. An example - the house he grew up in. All the others around it have become second homes, empty for parts of the year.
WISWELL: We bought the land for 37,000. Now it's - a little tiny house I grew up on - it's now almost a million dollars. And it's just how expensive things have gotten for housing.
MOORE: He says now, when he talks to friends on both sides of the political spectrum, folks are really just looking for someone who actually wants change and to change Maine. Elena Moore, NPR News, Bangor, Maine.
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