Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson is turning to Maine social media creators to reach voters beyond traditional political advertisements. His campaign has been partnering with influencers whose audiences were built around everything from motherhood and mental health to gardening and everyday life.
The campaign has cultivated relationships with creators who aren’t primarily known for political content, tapping into their established audiences to share Jackson’s message ahead of Tuesday’s election. The endorsements are unpaid, according to the campaign, which has also organized opportunities for creators to meet and engage directly with Jackson.
Among those supporting Jackson is Meredith Steele, a Maine mother of two with more than 1.1 million TikTok followers, 463,000 Instagram followers and 227,000 Facebook followers. Steele originally built her platform around motherhood, mental health and daily life but began speaking more openly about politics after the 2024 election.
“Troy’s value system aligns very much with my own, and his objectives for Mainers are similar to the things that I feel like I care about and my neighbors care about,” Steele told Beacon. “I was excited to be able to help out because I felt like it was authentic and organic, and I really like him.”
Steele pointed to Jackson’s work on universal free school meals, heating assistance, food benefits and health care as reasons for her support.
Other creators who have publicly supported Jackson include MisterMainer1, who has more than 20 million followers across platforms, decorator and collector Alexander Widener and vintage curator Sam Holley.
Steele said social media offers an opportunity to reach people who are tired of political advertising or no longer actively seek out traditional news.
“I felt like I had a moral obligation to share what I felt like was important on my page,” she said, pointing to the significant amount of money being spent on political messaging in Maine. “There’s so much money being poured into the state with people intentionally trying to confuse or manipulate voters.”
She said the response to her political content has been overwhelmingly positive, with some followers telling her that her videos have changed their minds.
“I have kids growing up here. I have a husband who works here. I work here,” Steele said. “I care about what happens here.”
Jackson said the creator partnerships are part of a broader effort to engage voters directly rather than relying solely on political advertisements.
“I’m proud of the campaign we’ve built to meet Mainers where they are,” Jackson told Beacon. “While Susan Collins hasn’t held a town hall in 25 years, we’ve held more than 15, done over 100 campaign events, and worked with local creators to reach people in every corner of Maine.”
Jackson has gained ground in the polls ahead of Tuesday’s election. A New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll released Sunday found Jackson leading Collins 51% to 45% among 714 likely Maine voters, a nine-point shift from September, when Collins held a three-point advantage. The race could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Daily Updates