Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams reports from Bangor, Maine, that the Democratic Party has selected Troy Jackson as their new U.S. Senate candidate after Graham Platner withdrew his bid. Former Vice President Kamala Harris publicly backed Jackson, drawing a parallel between his campaign and her own 2024 presidential run.

In a Monday fundraising email, Harris stated, "I know what it is like to step up to the plate with a short runway to Election Day. Troy will have just 101 days between his nomination for Senate and when voters in Maine will cast their ballots."

Harris was the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew following a widely criticized debate performance against then-former President Donald Trump.

Collins campaign spokeswoman Blake Kernen told Fox News that Harris "knows exactly what he’s going through," referring to the compressed timeline Jackson faces.

The replacement of Platner, who spoke to voters at a town hall in Portland, Maine, on June 7, 2026, has sparked discussions about bypassing primary voters, with some noting the shared experience between Harris and Jackson in stepping into a race late.

Any accusations of non-consensual behavior related to the campaign have been categorically denied.

Sources