Troy Jackson announces run for Maine governor
May 19—Former Senate President Troy Jackson announced Monday that he is running for governor of Maine.
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who served 20 years in the Legislature, had announced in March that he formed a committee to explore a possible run. The Democrat from Allagash joins what is expected to be a crowded primary field for both parties.
Jackson, 56, said he wants to "build a Maine where working families get ahead, seniors can age with dignity, our environment is protected for future generations and our kids can afford to stay and build their future here at home."
"I've spent the last few months meeting Mainers in union halls, diners, school cafeterias and town halls across the state who are tired of the status quo and feel under attack from billionaires, special interests, and their friends who control Washington. I got my start putting in 80-hour weeks in the woods of northern Maine, barely scraping by," Jackson said in a written statement Monday. "So when the greedy landowners threatened to replace us if we didn't work harder for less pay, I had no choice but to stand up and fight back. Since then, I've never stopped fighting for the people who keep our state running — the loggers and farmers, teachers and nurses, fishermen and first responders, workers and small business owners who are getting left behind."
Jackson said "too many Democrats have lost touch with working people or shown they're not up for the fight" and highlighted his own experiences living paycheck to paycheck.
"I know I don't look like traditional candidates and I probably won't be the chosen candidate of big money donors or the well-connected, and I'm okay with that because I know who I am and what I'm fighting for," he said.
Gov. Janet Mills is unable to run for reelection because of term limits.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who served two terms in the Maine Senate, announced in March that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
Angus King III, a businessman, renewable energy entrepreneur and the son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr., announced earlier this month that he is also seeking the Democratic nomination.
Other candidates who have filed campaign finance paperwork for the race include fellow Democrat Kenneth Pinet. Republicans include state Sen. James Libby, R-Standish; Bobby Charles, who served as assistant secretary of state under Colin Powell; Steven Sheppard and Robert Wessels. There is one unenrolled candidate, Alexander Murchison.
Other Democratic contenders whose names have been floated as potential candidates include U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, and Hannah Pingree, who said last week she is stepping down from the Governor's Office of Policy and Innovation and Future, a former Maine House speaker and the daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District.
Jackson is launching his campaign with a statewide tour that begins Monday at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.
This story will be updated.
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