Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson faces reports of fiery temper

As the Maine Democratic party prepares to rally around former state Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Maine) as the nominee for Senate, reports of his fiery temper are swirling around the Pine Tree State.

He’s been accused of verbally berating Rachel Talbot Ross, who served as House Speaker, during his time as Senate President. The two were reportedly arguing over how to advance a red-flag law, which would allow the temporary removal of firearms from individuals who pose a significant danger to themselves or others.

“It was so difficult to maneuver because none of them would even speak to each other,” a top Democratic operative in Maine said to The Washington Post. 

“On paper, we had these great majorities, but it was inept. It was very messy,” the person added. 

The heated talk occurred after a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine where 18 people were killed. 

Jackson’s campaign and Talbot Ross’s office did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the matter. 

However, it wasn’t the only reported incident of anger taking the lead inside meetings with fellow lawmakers.

Jackson was also involved in an intense discussion with former state Sen. Heather Sanborn (D) over legislation geared towards reducing prescription drug costs. He apparently threw a water bottle at one point in the argument.

“He was an inch from her nose, screaming and hollering and haranguing her,” one of Jackson’s former legislative colleagues who was in the room told The Washington Post.

“It was pretty intense. I haven’t seen anything like that before or since,” the person added. 

Other ex-lawmakers said Sanbord didn’t return for a few days after the exchange. 

Another person describing recorded meetings with Jackson told CNN, “It felt like he was using his body and his voice to make people fearful.” 

“I was in a room multiple times where he escalated the situation with both the intent and natural ability to really intimidate using his physical presence,” the person added. 

Jackson is widely seen as the replacement for Graham Platner, who dropped out of the race after two women accused him of sexual assault. 

Prior to the sexual assault scandal, Platner was accused of writing offensive posts on Reddit and touting a Nazi tattoo. 

In the wake of his grassroots campaign, Maine Democrats are seeking a viable challenger to incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Collins is campaigning for a sixth term and would make state history as the longest serving senator from the Pine Tree State if re-elected. 

Several Democrats have dropped out of the race to face Collins in November and endorsed Jackson instead.

Maine’s former CDC Director Nirav Shah and Dan Kleban both said Jackson’s the most “electable” option for Democratic voters on short notice. 

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