Republican lawmakers are targeting Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson after a 1988 police report surfaced, detailing accusations that he assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation in Fort Kent, Maine.

Background

Jackson, a former state Senate president, was chosen by Maine Democrats to replace embattled nominee Graham Platner, who dropped out of the race last month amid rape allegations that he denied. Jackson is now challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-stakes race that could determine the GOP’s Senate majority.

A Fox News poll in Maine indicated Jackson holding a slight two-point edge over Collins, which was within the survey’s sampling error. The Republican National Committee has called Jackson ‘Graham Platner 2.0: Violent and unhinged’ in a social media post.

Response

Jackson said in a statement, ‘Nearly forty years ago, when I was 19 years old, I got into a fight with another man. I took responsibility for it then, and I take responsibility for it now.’ He added, ‘I have never been violent with my partner Lana, or any other woman. This happened nearly four decades ago, and I assure Mainers this incident in no way reflects the man I am today or the life I’ve led in the years since.’

Jackson’s partner, Lana Pelletier, also released a statement, saying, ‘I do not remember making the statements attributed to me and they are not accurate. This is the first time I have seen this report from 40 years ago. Troy and I have built a life and family together and I know the person he has been through the decades since, both as a caring partner and father.’

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.