Democratic Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson is facing scrutiny over his past support for a state policy allowing male inmates who identify as transgender to be housed in women’s prisons. Now, as the issue becomes part of Maine’s Senate race, Jackson is dismissing criticism of the policy as a political “distraction.”
Pray for your fellow intercessor.
From the Daily Caller News Foundation:
As Maine Senate president in 2021, Jackson voted for state budget bills that codified Maine’s nondiscrimination laws, which required all state prisons to house trans-identifying individuals in prisons aligning with their gender identity. Under this law, a female inmate allegedly suffered harassment including rape threats from a trans-identifying male housed in the facilities.
Pine Tree Results, a Republican super PAC, launched a $1.1 million advertisement campaign attacking Jackson over his support for this policy.
“As Senate president, Jackson signed the bill requiring state prisons to house biological men if they identify as female with women prisoners,” the ad said.
The controversy centers in part on Andrea Balcer, a male inmate who identifies as transgender and was transferred to a women’s correctional facility in Maine in 2023. Balcer is serving a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to murdering his parents and killing the family dog.
A female inmate, Katie Mountain, filed a lawsuit in April alleging that Balcer subjected her to repeated sexual harassment and threats while the two were incarcerated in the same facility. According to the lawsuit, Mountain alleged that Balcer forcibly kissed her, trapped her in a bathroom, told graphic sexual stories, and repeatedly threatened to rape and impregnate her.
The controversy has also drawn federal scrutiny. According to the Daily Caller News Foundation, the Department of Justice opened an investigation into Maine’s handling of Balcer’s placement and subsequently pulled funding from the facility because it continued housing a male inmate with women.
Similar controversies have arisen elsewhere. Female inmates in Washington and California have alleged sexual assault by male inmates who were housed in women’s correctional facilities under transgender housing policies. These cases have intensified the broader debate over whether policies based on gender identity adequately protect the privacy and physical safety of incarcerated women.
Jackson addressed the issue Wednesday during an appearance on MS NOW’s “The Briefing,” where host Jen Psaki asked him directly about the $1.1 million advertising campaign targeting his record.
Rather than defend the policy itself in detail, Jackson argued that the controversy was being used to divert voters’ attention from issues such as healthcare, prescription drugs, childcare, housing, property taxes, and abortion. He accused his political opponents of trying to “divide Mainers” rather than discuss economic issues.
“And so, yeah, however I voted or whatever, but this is not something that I’m going to be willing to use as a distraction,” Jackson said, adding, “I’m not going to demonize my neighbors in Maine.”
But for women incarcerated alongside biological men, the question is hardly abstract. Policies intended to accommodate gender identity can carry serious consequences when they collide with the safety, privacy, and dignity of vulnerable women. As Maine voters consider who will represent them in Washington, let’s pray that questions surrounding these policies are examined honestly—and that leaders recognize their responsibility to protect those entrusted to the government’s care.
What do you think of Jackson’s response to criticism of his record? Share your thoughts and prayers below.
(Excerpt from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Photo Credit: welcomia via Canva Teams)
