Progressive Democrats Flex Muscle in Senate Primary Fights From Maine to Michigan
A logger-turned-legislator surges in Maine while Bernie Sanders barnstorms Michigan for a favored candidate.
Progressive Democrats made gains in two closely watched Senate primary contests over the weekend, as Troy Jackson moved closer to securing Maine's Democratic nomination to face Sen. Susan Collins while Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned across Michigan for another preferred candidate.
Jackson, a progressive logger and state legislator, saw his delegates win more than 90% of slots at Saturday's convention, putting him on track to become the Democratic nominee against Collins, Fox News reported.
In Michigan, Sanders lent his "full-throated endorsement" to Abdul el Sayed in the state's Senate race, the Washington Examiner reported. Sanders, who has played kingmaker in a string of Democratic primaries this election cycle, is staking some of his political capital on el Sayed as the contest becomes a broader referendum on the senator's brand of politics within the party.
The twin developments illustrate the continuing pull of the party's progressive wing in primary contests even as Democrats nationally debate their direction heading into the midterms.
— Compiled from reporting by Fox News and the Washington Examiner.