Democratic Senate candidate Dan Kleban chats with a visitor to his campaign booth on Saturday. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

Two more Democratic contenders for the U.S. Senate race have dropped out.

Jordan Wood and Dan Kleban separately announced Sunday night that they’re supporting former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson in his bid to replace Graham Platner on the ballot.

Their decisions came after Jackson appeared to take an early lead in the race to secure the party’s nomination and two of the top contenders withdrew to support him.

Platner’s replacement will be chosen at a convention on July 25. The former Democratic nominee left the race earlier this month after being accused of sexual assault — an allegation that he denies.

County committees held caucuses over the weekend to elect delegates for the state nominating convention. The 601 delegates, including 101 state committee members and 500 elected delegates, will select the next nominee.

Wood and Kleban announced that they were suspending their campaigns after withdrawals from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former public health official Nirav Shah.

Jordan Wood answers a question from reporters at the Kennebec County Democratic Committee delegate event Saturday. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

Wood, 36, is an Auburn resident former congressional staffer who initially ran for the Democratic nomination for Senate until Gov. Janet Mills entered the race. Following his withdrawal, placed third in the Democratic race for U.S. House District 2.

He suspended his campaign to be the party’s new nominee in a video posted to X on Sunday.

“Troy is a voice that connects with rural Maine and we campaigned for that. Troy joined us when so many wouldn’t,” Wood said in the video. “That’s a powerful thing.”

Kleban, 49, lives in Cumberland is the co-founder of Maine Beer Co. in Freeport. He initially launched his Senate campaign in September and withdrew after Mills entered the race.

He said in a news release Sunday that his decision to end his campaign is “bittersweet,” but he lacks a path forward.

“From the very beginning, my focus has been on defeating Susan Collins,” Kleban said in a news release Sunday. “I will do whatever I can between now and November to help Troy Jackson finally achieve that goal.”