u/out2sea4me

i have been waiting to see if the platner campaign will endorse a candidate for governor and am disappointed that they have not yet endorsed troy jackson.

the platner campaign has ridden the coattails of troy jacksons' commitment to labor and working class people of maine. i first met platner in july 2025, before he launched his senate campaign and before he was a household name. he was introduced to me and 100s of maine union members by troy jackson at the maine afl-cio summer institute. after years of being disappointed with our federal representatives, it was troy who assured us platner would be different. you can read here about how graham was recruited by the labor movement in maine: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/can-a-maine-oyster-farmer-defeat-a-five-term-republican-senator

as the governor's race heats up, it is frustrating to see platner not endorse. when i drive around and see shah-platner signs, i am deeply confused about what people see in common with these two candidates. you can read here about the most recent alarming news from the shah campaign: https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/1thmpzj/nirav_shahs_alarming_pac_ties_to_school_voucher/ shah loves the chicago school of economics, a framework for capitalism that decimated the new deal, clawed back public services, and kicked off the massive income inequality issue that has only gotten worse. maybe people like to see two charasmatic people as their candidates? but the policies do not align.

troy endorsed graham earlier this year, way before it was the cool thing to do. other candidates waited until establishment democrat mills dropped out of the race to endorse. i think that alone shows that they will cater to the establishment and have no intention to break the status quo of respectability politics that have failed the democratic party.

clearly bernie sanders gets it. we need progressive, working class candidates that can unite the state. the opportunity to have graham in the senate and troy as governor is an opportunity that working class mainers cannot pass up, and the platner campaign needs to do more political education about why troy jackson is the best candidate for governor if they want to accomplish what graham is running on. the reality is, graham is not going to single handedly pass the pro act (protections for unions) in the senate in his first year. but troy has the commitment and relationships to substantially improve the material conditions of mainers in his first year of government. we need both to change the status quo, and i think mainers want to see progressive candidates support each other.

https://maineaudubon.org/2026-gubernatorial-candidate-survey/

for folks who are still ranking candidates and care about the environment... i found this maine audobon survey really helpful!

i thought troy jackson's response to protect water (question 2) was great because it included septic upgrades. this is arguably the leading cause of pollution in lakes and so important for protecting them from future algae blooms! his response to the question on climate change (question 8) was also very well rounded and highlights how his approach will be different "However, my administration will take a different path in at least three ways: 1) Tribal Sovereignty will be core to our climate work; 2) Including strong labor standards in all of our climate policies – if we want to make lasting progress as a state on climate, we’ve got to make sure the economy we’re building is fairer than the one we’re leaving behind; and 3) Tackling the energy affordability issue head-on because if we deliver clean energy that’s cheaper and more reliable Mainers will believe in strong climate policy."

hannah and shenna also had good answers throughout.

i did not think nirav shah had complete answers. he repeated this in multiple answers " I will expand partnerships with land trusts, conservation organizations, and local communities to protect critical habitats at scale." for those of us who work in maine natural resources, we know that land trusts, conservation organizations, and communities have been maxxed out trying to deal with the climate crisis and without outlining new, key sources of funding and support for these groups, this response is hollow and burdensome. also, i would argue that jackson, bellows, and pingree have been building these relationships for years.

note that king III and all republican candidates did not respond.

what do others think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W1m6M5hYS4
here's a great snippet from graham platner's recent speech at the NABTU Legislative Conference in DC on troy jackson's commitment to the labor movement and how graham would not be here today without troy.

there's been some discussion on this sub about how both campaigns are speaking to working class voters and building common ground (this threat comes to mind.. https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/1sp0x6s/what\_do\_you\_all\_make\_of\_the\_platner\_jackson\_thing/) i'm happy to see this shout out and think a jackson governor/platner senator would be a great combo for maine.