Maine Secretary Bellows Withdraws, Jackson Leads Delegates

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows withdrew from the Democratic U.S. Senate race on Sunday, July 19, 2026, as former state Senate President Troy Jackson consolidated overwhelming support among party delegates. Bellows’s exit marks a significant shift in the fast-moving process to select a new nominee to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in November.

The vacancy arose after the Democratic primary winner, Graham Platner, ended his campaign last week following a published report detailing an allegation of sexual assault from a former girlfriend, which he denied. Bellows, along with Jackson and former public health official Nirav Shah, had quickly entered the Senate race after each lost the party’s gubernatorial primary in June.

In a statement announcing her withdrawal, Bellows said the best way she could serve the state and country was by focusing exclusively on her role as Secretary of State, citing what she described as accelerating attacks on democracy. Her decision followed a dominant performance by Jackson’s campaign in a series of county caucuses held on Saturday, July 18, to elect delegates to a state nominating convention scheduled for July 25 in Bangor.