Washington operatives have taken over the Maine Senate campaign of Troy Jackson and are pushing him to soften his positions — bad news for the grassroots supporters who powered his nomination.

• After Graham Platner dropped out, consultants tied to Schumer's orbit and past Democratic campaigns moved in and sidelined the volunteer base.
• Campaign documents tell Jackson to stop calling Gaza a genocide without openly taking it back, and to stick to lines like "I've said what I've said."
• The scripted talking points lean on an outdated split between offensive and defensive weapons and still call for releasing hostages, language other Democrats have already moved past.
• Jackson, a lifelong logger from northern Maine with an associate's degree, is now spending his time at high-dollar fundraisers with wealthy donors instead of with local supporters.
• The strategy risks both sides of the math: it kills turnout enthusiasm and does not win independents, who polls suggest are closer to his original position.

Meanwhile, Maine families are getting squeezed by heating oil costs and the Canada trade war, which has also pushed up the price of firewood.

Outlook: Trying to straddle both positions is likely to leave Jackson looking like he believes in nothing heading into the midterms, though voter anger over costs and the corruption cloud over Collins could still keep the race competitive.