AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s U.S. Senate race took another unexpected turn this week after The Maine Wire published a report alleging that Democratic nominee Troy Jackson and his longtime partner, Lana Pelletier, are second cousins.
The publication cited genealogical records and local sources in Allagash, asserting that Jackson and Pelletier share the same great-grandparents through the Pelletier family. According to the report, the couple, who have two adult sons together, have never obtained a marriage license.
Maine Wire details family connection
According to The Maine Wire, Jackson and Pelletier are related through Thomas Pelletier and Edith Thibodeau, whom the publication identifies as the shared great-grandparents of both individuals. Based on that genealogy, the outlet reported the pair are second cousins.
The publication also noted that Jackson and Pelletier have been together since high school and have remained partners throughout Jackson’s decades-long political career. They have children together.
Marriage between second cousins is legal in Maine and many other states.
Jackson became nominee after Platner withdrew
Jackson became the Democratic nominee after businessman Graham Platner withdrew from the Senate race in early July amid mounting political pressure.
Platner stepped aside after a former partner publicly accused him of sexual assault. He denied the allegation and said his decision to suspend his campaign was not an admission of wrongdoing but acknowledged that his campaign was no longer viable after losing support from Democratic leaders and major allies.
According to reporting by The Washington Post and other news organizations, the allegation came after weeks of scrutiny surrounding Platner’s campaign.
That reporting detailed criticism over allegations of abusive behavior made by former partners, which Platner denied; reports about sexually explicit online messages sent while he was married; controversy surrounding past social media activity; and reporting regarding a tattoo that critics said resembled Nazi imagery, which Platner said he had since covered.
Following the sexual assault allegation, prominent Democratic figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, publicly urged Platner to end his campaign. The Maine Democratic Party subsequently convened a special nominating convention, where delegates selected Jackson as the party’s nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Jackson’s campaign focuses on working-class message
Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and fifth-generation logger, has centered his campaign on organized labor, manufacturing, rural economic issues, and his working-class background while seeking to unify Democrats after the upheaval surrounding Platner’s departure.
The report published this week by The Maine Wire shifts attention from policy back to the personal lives of candidates, although the publication’s claims regarding Jackson’s family relationship have not been independently confirmed by other major news organizations.
The Maine Senate race has already experienced one of the most turbulent nomination cycles in recent state history. Platner’s withdrawal forced Democrats to replace their nominee just months before the general election, and the latest reporting involving Jackson is likely to draw additional public attention as the campaign enters its final months.
For now, the claims regarding Jackson’s relationship remain those reported by The Maine Wire, while the circumstances surrounding Platner’s withdrawal have been widely documented by national and Maine news organizations, including The Washington Post.
