CNN and Bangor Daily News cancel Maine Senate debate as Democrats rally behind Troy Jackson

(CNN) — CNN and the Bangor Daily News will no longer hold a July 23 debate ahead of Maine Democrats’ convention to pick a replacement Senate nominee, after Troy Jackson consolidated the support of a majority of delegates and several of his rivals dropped out.

Jackson effectively locked down the Democratic nomination for Senate, moving quickly to secure the support of delegates that are set to vote next weekend on the party’s new candidate to take on GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in a critical battleground contest.

The former Maine Senate president emerged from a crowded field vying to replace former nominee Graham Platner, whose campaign imploded earlier this month after he was accused of rape – an allegation he denies – weeks after he’d won the Democratic nomination for US Senate.

Jackson’s supporters won more than 460 of the 500 delegate slots that were up for grabs, a show of force that compelled top rivals – including former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood, and brewery owner Dan Kleban – to suspend their bids and back Jackson’s campaign.

Now, Jackson has a clear path to the nomination at next weekend’s state party convention, setting the stage for a high-profile showdown with Collins, a five-term incumbent.