Troy Jackson is running to replace Graham Platner in the Senate race, and he is doing everything he can to distance himself from the socialist label. After backing from the Maine DSA and radical streamer Hasan Piker, Jackson told CNN’s Manu Raju that he does not consider himself a socialist.
“I’m upset a lot at the Democratic Party. What I know is I fight for working-class people,” Jackson said.
Replacing Platner
Platner dropped his Senate bid after facing a rape accusation he denied. Jackson is now running to oppose Susan Collins, the incumbent senator from Maine. Jackson finished third in the Maine Democratic gubernatorial primary, and his campaign has leaned on support from the left.
The national DSA has called for abolishing the executive branch, the Senate, and making the Supreme Court subservient to Congress.
Piker’s Endorsement
During the frenzy to replace Platner, Piker wrote on X that Jackson was “him” — a stand-in for Graham. The two have not been shy about their support.
Jackson told Crooked Media’s “What a Day” podcast that he had never met Piker and didn’t know much about him earlier this month.
The endorsement came alongside Jackson’s own words of support for working people. In May, Jackson posted on X: “To the loggers, farmers, teachers, truck drivers, nurses, postal workers, shipbuilders, childcare providers, and everyone else who makes this state run while getting run down in the process: let’s take back what’s ours.”
The DSA Backing
The Maine DSA endorsed Jackson during his failed gubernatorial run. Jackson told MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” that he does not support the national DSA platform.
Jackson also led Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign efforts in Maine.
Where Jackson Stands
Jackson’s message is consistent: he fights for working-class people, not for socialism as defined by the national DSA. He has refused to endorse the platform that calls for:
- Abolishing the executive branch
- Abolishing the Senate
- Making the Supreme Court subservient to Congress
The distinction matters in a race where the socialist label can be a political burden. Jackson is running in a state where Susan Collins has a history of massively overperforming polling expectations.
| Group | Endorsement of Jackson | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Maine DSA | Endorsed Jackson’s gubernatorial run | Not specified in the source |
| National DSA | Calls for abolishing the executive branch, Senate, and making the Supreme Court subservient to Congress | Jackson does not support it |
| Hasan Piker | Endorsed Jackson | Radical streamer |
| Bernie Sanders | Backed Jackson in both races | Led Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign in Maine |
The Polling Picture
Jackson currently leads Susan Collins by 1.8 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
- Jackson’s lead is narrow
- Collins has a history of overperforming expectations
- Jackson’s allies note the Maine DSA has not endorsed his Senate campaign
- Piker’s ties to Dr. Abdul El-Sayed have complicated Democrats’ efforts to hold onto the Michigan Senate seat
- That has led to an onslaught of GOP attacks that have inspired other Dems to keep their distance
The race is close, and the socialist question is one that Jackson is clearly trying to answer in his own terms. He is not a socialist, he says, but he is upset with the Democratic Party and fighting for working people.
The national DSA’s platform is radical. Abolishing the Senate and the executive branch is a position Jackson has not adopted. Jackson has made clear that he is not part of it.
The polling suggests a tight race, but Collins has a history of beating expectations. Jackson has a lead, but he is also facing the question of whether his ties to the left will hurt him in a state where the socialist label carries political weight.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs no one on this story and backs no position instead: the story is thin on policy and the position does not apply here, so the paper reserves judgment.
Jackson’s campaign is about distancing himself from a label, not about the specific policies that label usually carries. The paper’s position on political labels is that they should be treated as shorthand for what a candidate actually says and does, not as a substitute for evaluating that. Jackson’s own words — that he fights for working-class people — are what matter here, not the suspicions of his opponents.
The paper watches candidates who are clear about their positions rather than giving ground for fear of labels. Jackson has said he does not support the national DSA’s radical platform and has said he is not a socialist; the paper notes that and stops there.
Source material: “Troy Jackson downplays ties to socialists after prior backing from Maine DSA and Hasan Piker,” the New York Post.
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