Lana Pelletier, the long-term partner of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, is reportedly his second cousin, raising questions during a critical Senate race. The initial report appeared on July 30 in The Maine Wire, suggesting that genealogical records indicate Pelletier and Jackson share the same great-grandparents. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) further circulated parts of this report. Both reports did not provide public access to birth, marriage, or genealogical records, hence Newsweek could not verify the familial connection independently. Attempts to reach Jackson’s campaign and The Maine Wire for comments and records are underway.
Who Is Troy Jackson?
Troy Jackson is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash in northern Maine and a former president of the Maine Senate. His campaign highlights him as a committed advocate for workers’ rights and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. Jackson entered the 2026 Senate race after winning the Democratic Party’s nominating convention on July 25. He aims to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November 3 general election.
Who Is Lana Pelletier?
Lana Pelletier has been Troy Jackson’s partner for many years, and they have two adult sons, Chace and Camden, according to The Maine Wire. They were described as high school sweethearts from Fort Kent High School. In a 2019 financial disclosure to the Maine Ethics Commission, Jackson identified Pelletier as immediate family. The disclosure requires lawmakers to report income received by a spouse, domestic partner, or dependent children. In an April 2023 written testimony to the Maine Legislature, Pelletier, a social worker, advocated for a ban on flavored tobacco, citing personal experiences with smoking and addiction’s impact on families.
Despite claims over the years of Pelletier being Jackson’s wife, The Maine Wire didn’t find a marriage license for them.
What Do the Genealogical Records Say?
According to The Maine Wire, Jackson and Pelletier share great-grandparents Thomas Pelletier and Edith Thibodeau Pelletier. Their daughter, Albertine Pelletier O’Leary, was Jackson’s grandmother, while their son, Louis A. Pelletier Sr., was Pelletier’s grandfather, making Jackson’s mother and Pelletier’s father first cousins and Jackson and Pelletier second cousins. Though the report referenced genealogical records, it did not provide the original sources.
Maine law allows second cousins to marry. It bans closer relatives like parents, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews from marrying. First cousins can marry if they present a physician’s certificate confirming they have received genetic counseling.
How Close Is the Maine Electoral Race?
The Senate race in Maine is notably competitive. The RealClearPolitics average indicates Jackson holds 48.6 percent and Collins has 47.3 percent, giving Jackson a narrow 1.3-point advantage. This race garners significant attention as U.S. Senate control could hinge on such pivotal contests. Jackson’s campaign emphasizes his logging roots, backing for organized labor, and a critique of Washington’s policies favoring affluent individuals and large corporations over working families.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors utilized Martyn, their AI assistant, in compiling this story.
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