The Senate race in Maine just got a little bit more weird, if that’s possible. Troy Jackson, the Democrat chosen to replace Graham Platner, has apparently fathered two children with his second cousin.
At this point, Republican incumbent Susan Collins must just sit at home and laugh to herself.
The New York Post reports:
Maine Dem Senate candidate Troy Jackson fathered two kids with his second cousin: reportMaine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson is in a long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart — who is also his second cousin, according to a new report.Jackson, 58, and Lana Pelletier share two adult sons and the same great-grandparents, according to Thursday’s report by independent journalist Steve Robinson, who notes that such relationships are both legal under state law and not uncommon in the rural North Maine Woods region, near the Canadian border.While Jackson, a onetime logger and the former president of the Maine State Senate, has described Pelletier as his wife in the past, locals tell Robinson the couple has never been legally married.Jackson grew up in the village of Allagash (population 237 as of the 2020 census) and attended nearby Fort Kent High School with Pelletier.According to geneological records unearthed by Robinson, Jackson’s maternal grandmother — Albertine Pelletier O’Leary — and Pelletier’s paternal grandfather — Louis A. Pelletier Sr. — were siblings, making Jackson’s mother, Colleen McBreairty, and Pelletier’s father, Louis Jr., first cousins.Since 1985, Maine law has prohibited marriages to an individual’s parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, or uncles.
People on Twitter/X had some fun with this.
Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, wants nothing to do with this race.
The Hill reports:
Mills declines to endorse Jackson in Maine Senate raceMaine Gov. Janet Mills (D) on Tuesday declined to endorse Troy Jackson, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate, months out from the general election.“We haven’t spoken, but clearly Susan Collins is vulnerable, and she should be — she should be defeated,” Mills said in an interview with WMTW News 8.Jackson earned the party nomination last week after embattled candidate Graham Platner stepped aside in response to allegations of sexual assault.Several candidates recently dropped out of the race to woo 601 Democratic delegates to clinch the party nomination.
All Maine Democrats had to do after Platner dropped out was find a normal person to take his place.
It’s amazing that such a simple task was a challenge.
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