Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson on Saturday fired back at Republican Sen. Susan Collins for mentioning that the mother of his children is his second cousin, grumbling that it’s an attack on his family.
“I know all kinds of stuff about Sen. Collins’ family that I am not disclosing, because I don’t think that means anything,” Mr. Jackson told reporters at a Saturday event in Wells, Maine. “I think issues do.”
Ms. Collins recently said in an interview with Politico, “I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin. I don’t know whether people know that or not.”
The Maine Wire first reported over the summer that Mr. Jackson and his partner, Lana Pelletier, who have two sons together, share the same great-grandparents.
Mr. Jackson has not denied that reporting. However, he took offense at Ms. Collins’ mention of his family.
“She has been attacking my personal life, my children, stuff like that, because her record sucks. And I wouldn’t be trying to defend my record if I was her, too,” Mr. Jackson said at the campaign event.
He continued, “Look, me and Lana have been together since I was in the fifth or sixth grade. That’s who I love. … And why I know it’s OK is because I have two unbelievable sons, and I wouldn’t have had them but for the fact that we’re together.”
The Washington Times reached out to the Collins campaign for a response.
As for Ms. Collins’ family, she has a legacy of influence in Maine politics and business.
Democrats need to net four additional seats to gain control of the Senate.
The sitting senator is the only Republican up for reelection in a state that Democrats won in the 2024 presidential election, making the Pine Tree State a promising pickup opportunity.
A series of scandals has complicated Democrats’ efforts.
Mr. Jackson was propelled into the Senate race in July after the previous Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, left the race due to a rape accusation.
Mr. Platner also faced scrutiny for hot-button online posts and for having had a tattoo that resembled a Nazi-linked symbol.
Having placed third in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Mr. Jackson won the support of a majority of delegates in a snap convention to replace Mr. Platner.
Mr. Jackson’s political career began in 1998 as a leader of a blockade of the northern border to prevent Canadian loggers from competing with Americans.
First elected to the state’s Legislature as an independent, Mr. Jackson switched to the Democratic Party.
He was a prominent Maine supporter of Vermont independent Sen. Bernard Sanders’ presidential campaigns and led Democrats in the state Senate from 2016 to 2024.
The election is Nov. 3.
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