AUGUSTA, Maine – Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, was unanimously re-elected by members of the 131st Maine Senate to serve a third consecutive term as President of the Maine Senate. He was sworn in by Gov. Janet T. Mills alongside members of the 131st Maine Senate.
“Representing the good people of northern Aroostook County – the people who raised me and made me who I am today – is both an enormous privilege and responsibility. Over the past few months, thousands of Mainers from Fort Fairfield to Fort Kent took the time to share the challenges they face and their ideas for the future,” said Jackson. “All Maine’s families are asking is that we fight for them, that we represent them. We owe it to them to do everything in our power to make things better. That starts today.”
Jackson is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash whose participation in the 1998 logging blockade along the Canadian border launched him into politics. He has proven to be a steadfast advocate for workers’ rights, voting to create good-paying jobs, pushing for fair wages, safe working environments, protection from unfair international competition and the freedom to organize and form a union. In the Legislature, Jackson has spearheaded efforts to rein in outrageous prescription drug prices, lower the cost of health insurance, invest in rural hospitals and support emergency medical services. He also authored the new law making Maine one of the first states in the nation to provide school meals to all students.
Earlier this year, Jackson was named the Maine Council on Aging’s 2022 Legislator of the Year and a recipient of the Maine Health Care Association’s 2022 Legislative Advocacy Award for his work on issues that affect older Mainers, including legislation to save the Maine Veterans’ Homes in Caribou and Machias, funding for meals on wheels and investments in long-term care.
Jackson serves on the Boards of Fish River Rural Health, a federally qualified health center, and the Aroostook County Community Action Program. He is also a proud member of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the International Association of Machinists and International Union, the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.
Jackson attended Allagash Consolidated Community High School and graduated from the University of Maine at Fort Kent. He lives in Allagash with his partner, Lana. Jackson is only the sixth Senate president from Aroostook County.
