MS NOW's take on Troy Jackson

MS NOW - Democrats in Maine, committed to unseating Republican Sen. Susan Collins, are rallying around Jackson, the former state senator and logger who looks most times like he just emerged from a job site in Maine’s northern woods.

But a month into Jackson’s candidacy, voters are still adjusting to a candidate who offers a strikingly different profile from his predecessor on the ticket, Graham Platner, who for nearly a year charmed Democrats with an inspiring message about progressive change before crashing out of the race in July amid scandal.

Jackson doesn’t speak rousingly. His speech, defined by a northern Maine accent where every vowel sounds heavy, is littered with countless “you knows,” and at one point, a campaign aide called an MS NOW reporter to clarify the point Jackson had made in an interview.

Handed only 100 or so days to win over Mainers, Jackson has had limited time to ensure voters know his story. And his demure demeanor is at odds with his race against the clock.