Troy Jackson Ousts Susan Collins in Maine, Delivering Major Senate Flip for Democrats
Democrat Troy Jackson has defeated longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine’s U.S. Senate race, according to a race call by the Associated Press. The victory ends Collins’ nearly 30-year tenure in Congress and gives Democrats a key seat in their bid to regain the Senate majority.
Jackson’s win makes him the first Democrat to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate since 1995. The result caps a remarkable political turn in a state that frequently backs Democrats at the state level but had repeatedly reelected Collins, the longest-serving Republican woman in the Senate. With President Trump’s approval ratings hitting historic lows, national Democrats targeted the seat as one of their premier pickup opportunities this midterm cycle.
A Whirlwind Campaign Built on Populism
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger with deep labor ties, launched a progressive populist campaign that capitalized on an unusual start. He entered the race in August after original Democratic nominee Graham Platner suspended his campaign following a rape allegation, which Platner denied. Jackson stepped in and carried forward an anti-establishment message focused on working-class voters.
Throughout the campaign, Jackson hammered Collins over national economic pressures hitting Maine residents. He pointed directly to rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war and trade friction with neighboring Canada, tying those local burdens to the Republican administration.
During an October interview with Maine Public Radio, Jackson dismissed Collins’ claims about her ability to deliver federal dollars as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “She’s losing more money than she’s bringing in. You know I keep saying, it would be great if she just stopped doing anything. We’d be better off,” Jackson said. “We’re losing a lot more; our healthcare, Iran war, tariffs. I mean, all these things are costing the state way more money than Susan Collins can ever bring in.”
A Costly Clash of Political Identities
The high-stakes battle drew massive spending from outside groups. Data from AdImpact showed Democratic- and Republican-aligned organizations poured more than a quarter of a billion dollars into advertising, keeping the candidates locked in a virtual tie in national polls right up to election day.
Collins built her reelection argument on her reputation as a pragmatic moderate, emphasizing her key role on the Appropriations Committee and her record of bipartisanship. A New York Times analysis noted that Collins broke with her party on votes more than any other Senate Republican, though her rate of dissent dropped noticeably during Trump’s second term.
Democrats countered by targeting her most controversial actions, notably her critical 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That vote built the conservative majority that ultimately overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. While Collins maintained she supported abortion protections and didn’t regret her Kavanaugh vote, political opposition used the issue heavily across the airwaves.
During their final debate in October, Collins warned voters against electing her opponent, arguing that Maine benefited from centrist representation. “[Jackson] is going to be an automatic vote for the Democratic position no matter what,” Collins said during the debate. “We have lost a lot of the centrists, and one of the reasons is we need people who will work across party lines.”
Voters ultimately chose Jackson’s populist pitch on Tuesday night, closing out Collins’ long congressional era and reshaping the battle for control of the Senate chamber.