PRESS RELEASE
Across The State, Mainers Are Backing Troy Jackson For U.S. Senate
Letter to the Editor Portland Press Herald: “The throughline in Troy Jackson’s story is an unflinching solidarity with the everyday working people of Maine”
PORTLAND, ME — Mainers from across the state are sharing their support for fifth-generation logger, former Maine Senate President, and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Troy Jackson. In letters to the editor, supporters are standing behind Troy’s working-class credentials, amplifying his values and sharing their trust that Troy will fight for them once he gets to Washington.
In Central Maine: Troy Jackson would be the Senate’s most working class voice
However, it’s our Democratic nominee, Troy Jackson, who offers such an exciting opening for meaningful change. Jackson’s working class background and his roots in organized labor would make him one of the strongest voices for working people in the U.S. Senate.
Troy Jackson is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash. His path to becoming a politician is rooted in his fellow loggers’ struggle for better pay and working conditions, a battle waged against the largest corporate landowner in the state.
When the blockade failed to produce results, Jackson decided it was time to fight for change within the halls of power. He was elected in 2002 and served 20 years in the Maine Legislature, including six as Senate president. Jackson would go on to sponsor the bill that ultimately secured collective bargaining rights for Maine loggers. Beyond that victory, his tenure in the Legislature contains many accomplishments that point to a willingness to fight for working class interests.
The throughline in Troy Jackson’s story is an unflinching solidarity with the everyday working people of Maine. It’s not surprising that Jackson has earned the endorsement of several Maine labor unions, while Susan Collins has the backing of a slew of billionaires. He has always been willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with ordinary people in order to win greater dignity and economic security for all of us.
In the Portland Press Herald: Troy Jackson has earned our trust
[Troy] championed a livable wage, fair workers’ compensation, security for Maine retirees, benefits for firefighters and their families and supported both public and private service employees. It didn’t matter how long a public hearing or work session would last, he would not stop until the legislation met the needs of those he served.
He never let a call from a constituent who had a concern or need pass by his desk unanswered, irrespective of whether or not they had voted for him.
He continued his fight for Maine workers by sponsoring the Buy American, Build Maine bill, supported paid family and medical leave, promoted offshore wind projects that protected the environment and honored the men and women involved.
As Troy’s sphere of influence increased, so did his depth of understanding and his compassion. He led the fight for Maine’s indigenous people through all three of his sessions as Senate president. He pioneered universal free lunches for all school-aged children, supported early childhood and pre-K programs and increased protections for victims of sexual misconduct on college campuses.
His views matured and expanded with regard to women’s reproductive rights, reasonable gun safety laws and gender issues. I witnessed this authentic growth as he listened, discussed and learned from a broader electorate. He maintains an open mind and doesn’t let his ego get in the way of good decision-making.
In the Portland Press Herald: It’s the billionaire class vs. the rest of us. That’s why Troy Jackson is the only choice.
This is why Troy Jackson is my guy, and probably the most relatable candidate I’ve had the opportunity to support in my life. There is no replacement for lived experience, and Troy has lived it. Not only that, but he came out the other side having broadened his mind beyond just the injustices that affected him personally, and made the connection that injustice anywhere affects us all, because it is all part of the broader system of oppression and profit-seeking plaguing our country.
I fully trust that whatever Troy does will always be with the working class in mind, because he’s proved that by his decades here in Maine fighting against corporate power for our rights and benefits. I encourage everyone, whether right, left, or undecided, to listen to his message with an open mind and choose him as your candidate in this year’s election. As Troy says: it’s not left vs. right, it’s top vs. bottom, and we’re rising.
In the Bangor Daily News: Troy Jackson is the ‘bare knuckles brawler’ we need in Washington
I read an article in which Charlotte Warren, a former Democratic state representative from Hallowell, said “Troy and I are bare knuckle brawlers. We believe in what we believe in, and we’re going to fight for it.” That is in sharp contrast to Susan Collins’ consistently beige “I am concerned.”
I went to Jackson’s Gorham town hall. A woman stood up and said “I love this man.” She explained she had worked with him. She had seen how hard he works — he stays above and beyond the normal working hours in the Legislature just as he says he did in the Maine woods.
We need Troy Jackson’s hard-working “bare knuckle brawler” to stand for the people in Maine.
In the Boothbay Register: Troy Jackson is a champion of the people
Troy Jackson is a quiet, respectful, hard-working Mainer who has championed the needs of working and middle-class Mainers since he got into the legislature. I know this because I served with him in the legislature, and saw him in action day after day.
Jackson, on the other hand, among other things, wants to create a fair tax system that asks the wealthy to pay their fair share. He wants to expand access to health insurance for all Mainers and all U.S. citizens. He wants to rein in ICE and create a solid immigration system based on law. He wants to create a working minimum wage, and create initiatives to build affordable housing. He wants ordinary people to be able to afford a decent life in our country.
In the Portland Press Herald: Maine needs candidates who will reverse the decline of organized labor
U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson … [has] pledged to support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would repeal the most damaging parts of Taft-Hartley, crack down on union busters and level the playing field to give workers a fair chance to join a union if they desire.
Year after year polls show public support for unions is at near record highs, crossing political, age and demographic lines. It’s time to end this 80-year experiment and return bargaining power to the American worker. In November, let’s elect candidates who will give us a shot at the American Dream.
###