Troy Jackson: the Maine lumberjack Democrats believe can beat Susan Collins

Jackson, a prominent workers' rights advocate and a leading progressive voice, replaces the scandal-plagued Graham Platner

As cinemagoers flock to The Odyssey, Democrats in Maine are hoping that their long and perilous quest for a political hero ends in Troy.

They have nominated lumberjack Troy Jackson this weekend as their candidate to challenge Susan Collins, a veteran Republican in the US Senate, after the implosion of the party's original candidate left them scrambling for a replacement less than four months before the midterm elections.