Maine Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson and longtime partner Lana Pelletier are reportedly second cousins who share two children, raising new questions about Jackson’s personal and financial disclosures as he campaigns against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Maine Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson is facing fresh scrutiny after reports published Thursday said he and his longtime partner, Lana Pelletier, are second cousins who share two children.
The Maine Wire reported that Jackson, a former Maine Senate president who was selected last week to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, is related by blood to Pelletier. According to the outlet, the couple are second cousins and have two children together.
Maine Wire Editor-in-Chief Steve Robinson separately identified Pelletier and reported that genealogical records show she and Jackson share the same set of great-grandparents. Both are from Allagash, a small community in Aroostook County.
Jackson and Pelletier have never legally married, and Maine does not recognize common-law marriage. That distinction could become relevant as Jackson is required to comply with Senate financial disclosure rules during his campaign.
Senate candidates and members must file detailed financial reports covering their own income, assets and liabilities as well as those belonging to a spouse. Because Pelletier and Jackson are not legally married, questions remain about whether her finances would have to appear in Jackson’s filings in the same manner that Collins reports financial information involving her husband.
Townhall’s Matt Vespa, citing the reporting, wrote that Jackson had neither submitted a Senate financial disclosure nor requested an extension as of this week.
The issue comes as Jackson has already faced questions involving his finances and residency. The Bangor Daily News reported that Jackson paid approximately $4,600 in overdue Maine income taxes last year after a tax lien was filed involving debt dating to 2020.
A Republican legislator also filed an ethics complaint against Jackson in 2023, alleging he had misrepresented his residency after purchasing a home in Augusta while continuing to identify Allagash as his residence in legislative records.
Descriptions of Jackson’s relationship with Pelletier have also changed over time. Older official biographies referred to Pelletier as Jackson’s wife, while his current campaign materials identify her as his partner.
Jackson became the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate on Saturday after securing 566 delegates at the party convention in Bangor. He entered the general-election contest after replacing Graham Platner, who withdrew from the race this month after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Platner denied the allegation.
The nomination followed another controversy involving Jackson’s tenure in the Maine Legislature. Earlier this month, Jackson came under scrutiny over a report alleging that he berated women lawmakers while serving as president of the Maine Senate.
Jackson has not publicly responded to the reports concerning his familial relationship with Pelletier.
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