Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson has two children with his longtime partner Lana Pelletier, who genealogical records indicate is his second cousin, according to reporting first published by journalist Steve Robinson.
Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, became the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate after the party’s original candidate, Graham Platner, withdrew from the race amid rape allegations. Jackson now faces incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in what has become one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country, with control of the chamber potentially hanging in the balance.
The genealogical records show that Jackson and Pelletier share the same great-grandparents: Thomas Pelletier and Edith Thibodeau. According to the records, Albertine Pelletier, daughter of Thomas and Edith, was Jackson’s grandmother. Louis Pelletier Sr., son of Thomas and Edith, was Lana Pelletier’s grandfather. This family tree makes the couple second cousins.
Jackson and Pelletier have been in a relationship since their high school years. They are the parents of two adult sons, to whom they are simultaneously third cousins through their shared ancestry.
Legal and Medical Context
The relationship is entirely legal under Maine state law. While Maine law does impose certain statutory requirements on first-cousin marriages, it places no restrictions whatsoever on second cousins marrying or having children together.
From a genetic perspective, medical experts generally agree that second-cousin relationships present no meaningful increase in the risk of inherited disorders when compared with the general population. The genetic overlap between second cousins is sufficiently distant that health professionals do not consider such relationships to pose elevated medical risks for offspring.
Political Background
Throughout his career in Maine politics, Jackson has typically referred to Pelletier as his “partner.” The couple has never legally married, though some older official biographical materials referred to Pelletier as Jackson’s wife.
Jackson has built much of his political brand around his roots in rural Maine’s St. John Valley. He frequently describes himself as a fifth-generation logger from Allagash who worked his way up through organized labor before entering Democratic politics and eventually becoming president of the Maine Senate.
His path to the U.S. Senate nomination came unexpectedly. After Platner withdrew from the race following rape allegations, Democrats needed to quickly find a replacement candidate for a race they view as a crucial pickup opportunity in their effort to regain Senate control.
High-Stakes Race
The Maine Senate contest has attracted national attention as Democrats target Collins, who is considered one of the more vulnerable Republican incumbents this cycle. National Democratic organizations have prioritized the race as they map out their strategy to flip Senate seats and reclaim the majority.
As of now, neither Jackson’s campaign nor Pelletier has publicly commented on the genealogical records or addressed questions about their family relationship.
The revelation adds an unexpected dimension to a race already marked by controversy, beginning with the circumstances that led to Jackson’s nomination in the first place. With the general election approaching, both campaigns are now preparing for what promises to be an intensely scrutinized contest with potential implications for the balance of power in Washington.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platners-replacement-accused-of-having-kids-with-cousin