The newly minted Democratic nominee took swipes at his Republican opponent and President Trump while talking about the need to give a voice to “everyday Americans.”
By RANDY SEAVER | Editor
More than 260 people packed the gymnasium at the Biddeford Community Center on Sunday evening for a chance to hear Democrat Troy Jackson talk about his campaign to oust Republican Susan Collins from her U.S. Senate seat.
Jackson said winning this race could flip control of the Senate back to the Democrats where Republicans now hold a razor-thin majority. That assessment has been echoed by political insiders and even major media outlets that would otherwise pay little attention to a Maine Senate race.
Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate. Although Democrats hold only 45 seats, they are often buoyed by the support of two independents, including Maine’s junior senator, Angus King, who often caucuses with Democrats.
A reporter from London’s Daily Telegraph attended the event, saying this particular race has attracted international interest because of the high stakes in this year’s mid-term elections.
Collins, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, is hoping for a sixth consecutive term. But despite her seniority and strong campaign history, she is considered more vulnerable in this election because of economic inflation, an ongoing war with Iran and growing frustration connected to the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
Jackson faced virtually no criticism on Sunday from a crowd that was clearly ready for a change in Washington D.C. In fact, Jackson invoked President Donald Trump’s name almost as often as he criticized Collins.
The event was labeled as a “Solidarity with Seniors” town hall-style meeting, focused primarily on issues impacting seniors and a troubled health care system that has experienced deep service cuts in some parts of Maine.
In his introductory remarks, Biddeford State Rep. Ryan Fecteau – Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives – described Maine’s health care workers as “the people we need the most and get paid the least.”
Fecteau spoke of his French-Canadian grandparents who emigrated to Biddeford in 1964 in search of jobs and new economic opportunities. “We need a senator who is going to fight for the working class,” Fecteau said.
“Everyday people are not powerless”
Jackson took center stage to a rousing chorus of applause from an audience dominated by senior citizens.
“Working people – everyday people are not powerless,” Jackson told the crowd. “When we come together, we can change things.”
Jackson tapped into voter frustration about skyrocketing fuel prices, the consequences of a trade war with Canada and a health care system that is broken and too expensive for working-class Americans.
“Let’s talk about the issues,” Jackson said. “I’ll stand on my record. But no one can deny that people are fed up.”
Jackson, a self-described “working man” and longtime champion of organized labor, stressed his connection to “working Americans who are struggling just to pay the bills.”
The candidate said his opponent is being supported by big-money corporate interests who don’t want to lose tax breaks and their control of the economy, describing them as “afraid of everyday Americans.”
“We’re not from the left, and we’re not from the right,” Jackson said. “We’re from the bottom, and they can’t stand that.”
Jackson drew rousing cheers when he described Trump as “a president who has lost his mind,” while addressing the Administration’s controversial tariffs policy. “What he [Trump] is doing is completely idiotic.”
“We’re not from the left, and we’re not from the right. We’re from the bottom, and they can’t stand that.”
Jackson took several questions from the audience, including one from Kim Loranger of Biddeford.
“What happens if you win, but the Democrats don’t get the majority, Loranger asked. “What will you really be able to accomplish as a freshman in the minority?”
Jackson said his race against Collins is a pivotal part of a larger effort among Democrats to provide some stopping power over Trump.
“If we can win this seat, we will be the majority,” Jackson replied. “We’ll be able again to have a functioning government.”
Loranger said she is concerned because Senate Democrats don’t seem to “be pushing hard enough” against some of Trump’s more controversial policies.
Susan Gold of Saco drew laughter from the crowd when she led off her comments by using a phrase often associated with Collins.
“I’m very concerned,” Gold said before suggesting that Jackson should do more to illustrate his accomplishments and achievements as president of the Maine Senate.
Jackson also made a joke about one of Collins’ recent television ads.
“She keeps talking about her 10,000 votes. I really wish she had missed a few of those,” he quipped.
Betsy Martin of Biddeford is a volunteer with the Biddeford Age Friendly Program and an outspoken advocate for seniors.
Martin said she attended Sunday’s event because she wanted to hear Jackson talk directly about issues that are impacting senior citizens, but she also pointed to her concerns about the economy, especially fuel costs and the implications of a trade war with Canada.
Is this campaign sucking all the oxygen from the room?
While the Senate race has certainly dominated political discussion across the state, Maine voters will also be asked to choose a new governor and 186 new state lawmakers on Nov. 3.
Amy Fried, a former political science professor at the University of Maine, said the intense focus on the Collins-Jackson race could produce “voter fatigue” and generate indifference about other political races, including a three-way gubernatorial campaign and legislative races that are run every two years.
“Traditionally, even these large races didn’t really ramp up much before Labor Day,” Fried said. “But this particular campaign – for several different reasons — has been somewhat intense for the last several months.
Not only are the mid-terms proving a pivotal opportunity for Democrats, but Maine’s Democratic Party was thrown into disarray when former nominee Graham Platner withdrew from the race in July after more allegations about sexual misconduct extinguished his campaign momentum.
“Right now, we’re just besieged with campaign ads,” Fried said. “Many voters are being pushed into the ‘wake me up when it’s all over’ category.”
Fried also expressed concerns about campaigns and news coverage that are heavily influenced by social media, which “allows people to curate news that only matches their current point of view.”
“If voters don’t have the opportunity or see different points of view, it becomes almost impossible for them to make fact-based decisions, especially in some of the lesser-talked about campaigns,” she said.
Fried said it is becoming increasingly difficult for voters to obtain information that isn’t tainted by corporate or political influence.
“It’s always been important for people to know what is going on, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to know if the information being presented is reliable.”
VIDEO | POST-EVENT REMARKS FROM LOCAL DEMOCRATS
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A little less conversation
For her part, Loranger said she is glad that she attended Sunday’s event but admitted that it’s difficult not feel worried and somewhat cynical.
“I’m pretty confident that he can win this race,” Loranger said of Jackson. “I guess that I’m cautiously optimistic. I just hope he follows through on his promises when he is a freshman senator in Washington. I’m somewhat sick of all the campaign talk. I want to see things change.”
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