Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins for Maine Senate seat

Troy Jackson won Maine’s U.S. Senate seat early Wednesday, defeating incumbent Republican Susan Collins. The result marked a decisive victory for the Democratic Party in a race that shifted late in the summer. Jackson, 58, told supporters at an election night gathering in Portland that he would fight for families in the state who feel overlooked by their federal representatives.

Jackson had a narrow window to build his campaign after replacing Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee in July. The change in candidates came after Platner, an oyster farmer and political newcomer, withdrew from the race amid a series of controversies. Jackson won a special nominating convention held later that month. He then spent the remaining 100-plus days touring the state, visiting churches, union halls, and bars to discuss workers’ rights and the rising cost of living.

The former state Senate president comes from rural Aroostook County, one of the poorest regions in Maine. He entered politics in the late 1990s after leading a loggers’ blockade along the Quebec border. That protest targeted the hiring of Canadian workers who were depressing local pay rates. Police eventually escorted Jackson away from the standoff. The experience pushed him to seek elected office, and he served nearly 20 years in the state House before becoming the top leader of the state Senate.

Collins, 73, had served in the Senate since 1996. She entered this year’s election as the only Republican in Congress from New England. Maine has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992. Collins positioned herself as an independent voice who often breaks from her party, including voting to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial. She also joined a group of Republican colleagues in January who sought to limit the president’s authority to use force in Venezuela. That move led Trump to say on social media that those legislators should not be elected again.

Jackson focused his attacks on Collins’s voting record regarding the president’s legislative agenda. He noted that she voted to advance Trump’s tax cut and budget bills out of committee before voting against them in the final passage. He compared her approach to an arsonist who helps start a fire and then takes credit for bringing a cup of water to extinguish it. Collins criticized Jackson’s temperament during the debate, referencing a moment where he told her to shut up.

Collins emphasized her seniority and her role on the Senate appropriations committee, which she chairs. She told reporters that it has been 92 years since a Maine senator held that position. She described the role as a once-in-a-century opportunity to shape national priorities while advocating for the state. Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned in Maine this year, did not appear with Collins during his trips to the state. He told a May crowd that he sometimes feels frustrated with the senator and wishes she were more partisan.

Jackson’s campaign drew on his background as a fifth-generation logger and his prior work as a surrogate for independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders joined Jackson for rallies in October, helping to energize the progressive base. Jackson’s message centered on the difficulty of building a decent life through hard work in the current economic climate. He told a September crowd near Portland that the reality on the ground no longer matches that ideal.

Collins called Jackson on Wednesday to concede the race. In a statement, she said she was proud of what she had accomplished for Maine and the country over the past 30 years. She described her service as the honor of her life. Jackson’s victory shifts the state’s representation in the Senate to the Democrats, aligning the chamber with the party’s recent successes in other races.