Politics
Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson faces scrutiny over legislative actions during son's lobbying tenure
Public records show Jackson backed funding measures for Maine Maritime Academy while his son represented the school.
The short version
- Troy Jackson, Maine's Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, is facing scrutiny over state funding legislation he supported while his son was a registered lobbyist for Maine Maritime Academy.
- State lobbying records reveal Jackson co-sponsored and backed multimillion-dollar funding bills for the academy while serving as Maine Senate president.
- Republicans have criticized the relationship as a conflict of interest, while Jackson's campaign defended his legislative record as focused on supporting working families.
- Jackson is competing against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November general election.
Key facts
- Troy Jackson's son, Chace Jackson, registered as a lobbyist for the Maine Maritime Academy in December 2022 and renewed his registration in January 2024.[Fox News]
- While serving as Maine Senate president, Jackson pushed a 2023 bill granting the academy an additional $2 million annually and co-sponsored a 2024 bill aiming to allocate $13.4 million to the institution.[Fox News]
- The 2023 funding increase for the academy became law, whereas the 2024 proposal passed the state Senate but did not become law.[Fox News]
- National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Bernadette Breslin accused Jackson of using public office for personal benefit and criticized his legislative record.[Fox News]
- A spokesperson for Jackson's campaign defended his record, stating he has consistently worked to support Maine's working families.[Fox News]
- Jackson became the Democratic nominee opposing incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins following the withdrawal of previous candidate Graham Platner.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Neither Troy Jackson, his son Chace Jackson, nor Maine Maritime Academy provided direct comment to Fox News Digital regarding the lobbying records.[Fox News]