Senator Bernie Sanders has backed former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson in the Democratic race for a US Senate seat, praising his “strong platform”. The endorsement gives Jackson support from a prominent progressive figure as Democrats seek to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Jackson, a former state legislator and fifth-generation logger, has presented himself as a working-class progressive. His candidacy gained momentum after Democrats moved to select a replacement nominee, with Sanders’s support likely to strengthen his standing among progressive and labour-aligned voters.