This little episode is straight out of a sitcom. Albeit a very cringey sitcom. Involving cousins. Who date.
Barely a day after the bombshell dropped that Senate candidate Troy Jackson (D-ME) and his longtime partner are second cousins, reporter Matthew Foldi found him sitting down to dinner at a fancy D.C. restaurant.
"Just caught up with Troy Jackson in DC — asked him for some dating advice since he apparently knew the right places to take his cousin," Foldi wrote on his Instagram.
Townhall Media's Storm Paglia managed to capture the exchange on video.
Jackson’s body language shifts a bit — the forced smile, the hand to the forehead, the classic lean-back squirm. Surely he knows why he's being asked this question, right?
"What is a good date night spot in Maine?" Foldi wonders. "Anywhere do we need to check out in Acadia region, Bar Harbor?"
The response would make a word-salad-eating AOC proud.
"Yeah, I don't know. There's Mike, uh, uh — The seniors have a really great lobster (pub, crowd?) in ... Franklin," he advised. "Outside there are great restaurants, stuff like that. But other than that, all I did was go to their beach."
Just caught up with Troy Jackson in DC — asked him for some dating advice since he apparently knew the right places to take his cousin
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) July 31, 2026
📷 @townhallcom’s @storm_paglia pic.twitter.com/PbmdKOaR6B
READ MORE: Kissin' Cousins: Troy Jackson's Senate Campaign Just Got Really Weird
Troy Jackson Picked to Replace Platner at Maine Democratic Convention - but He May Have More Issues
It seems pretty clear Jackson was caught completely off-guard and uncomfortable. Was he putting two and two together on the "kissin' cousins" story? It's anybody's guess.
As far as I know, the man is being heralded as a fifth-generation logger from Allagash, which is several hours from Acadia. Why not just say, 'I'm not from the region ... but here's where I'd wine and dine a date after the family reunion where I'm from.'
You have to love Foldi and Storm dropping in an "I know it's no Hamilton" jab. Not too many "loggers" hang out in swanky upscale restaurants in D.C.
Jackson, as reported by RedState's Teri Christoph, has been with his high school sweetheart Lana Pelletier for years — and she’s actually his second cousin.
RELATIVE ATTRACTION: We can confirm that Troy Jackson and his longtime partner are second cousins.
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) July 30, 2026
They have two children together https://t.co/L9i3ALy7Wt pic.twitter.com/OvtA6PVOrC
The two share the same great-grandparents and have two adult sons together. It’s legal in Maine, but in 2026 it still makes you do a bit of a double-take.
After being selected by Maine Democratic delegates to replace Graham Platner as the Senate nominee, several liabilities that could hurt Jackson with voters came to light. They include an allegation of mortgage fraud and, as even The Washington Post notes, he has a well-documented temper issue.
Now, he can't even offer up a decent lobster spot in Maine to bring the ol' second cousin on date night.
At least he can say that date night wouldn't end up with a Nazi tattoo reveal on his chest and an amorous encounter in a porta-potty. So, he's got that going for him.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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