Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins in Maine Senate race

Summarised from 6 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 4 Nov, 05:52 · Archive

Democrat Troy Jackson has defeated five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine's US Senate election, ending Collins' nearly 30-year Senate career. Jackson, 58, is a fifth-generation logger and former Maine state senate president who ran as a working-class Democrat and labour advocate.

The race was one of the most closely fought and rancorous of the 2026 midterms, characterised by mutual accusations of corruption and clashes over living costs in the predominantly rural state. Jackson garnered 52.7 per cent of the vote compared to Collins' 47.2 per cent.

Jackson sought to break down Collins' carefully crafted image as a moderate Republican willing to defy Donald Trump, instead painting her as a loyal supporter of the president's agenda. He argued that Collins had emboldened Trump through critical votes, particularly her confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, which paved the way for overturning the constitutional right to abortion in the US. Jackson ran on a platform of progressive economic populism.

Collins, 73, countered that Jackson was ideologically inconsistent and lacked the experience needed to deliver for Maine at the federal level. She emphasised her independence, willingness to break with Trump when necessary, and her 30 years of Senate service. As chair of the Senate appropriations committee, Collins pointed to millions of federal dollars she had helped steer to Maine. She was the only Senate Republican running in a state that Trump lost in 2024.

Collins said in a statement conceding the race: "It has been the honour of my life to serve the people of Maine in the United States Senate. I'm proud of all I have been able to accomplish for our state and for our country in the past 30 years." She called Jackson to congratulate him and assured him that her staff would work to ensure a smooth transition.

Jackson's victory is a remarkable turnaround: he was the third-place finisher in the Maine Democratic primary for governor before being swapped in as Senate nominee at the last minute after the campaign imploded for the original nominee, Graham Platner. Collins' defeat ends her tenure as the longest-serving female Republican senator in history and marks her exit as the last remaining congressional Republican from New England.

The win gives Democrats a major pickup in one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm cycle. The Maine contest was viewed as a critical test of whether Democrats could defeat a Republican incumbent in a state that has shifted increasingly toward the party in recent presidential elections.

How it is being reported

• Troy Jackson defeats longtime Maine Sen. Susan CollinsDemocrat Troy Jackson defeated longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the Maine Senate race, CBS News projects.CBS News · 4 Nov, 05:50
• Republican Susan Collins falls in Maine stunner to Graham Platner swap-in Troy JacksonDemocrat Troy Jackson defeated longtime Sen. Susan Collins Tuesday in Maine’s midterm Senate election, ending the incumbent’s nearly 30-year-long run in the upper chamber. The victory for the second-choice candidate hands Democrats a critical election night win in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the cycle, and marks a blow to Republicans battling...New York Post · 4 Nov, 05:42
• Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins to win Maine US Senate seat in blow to RepublicansDemocratic nominee toppled the five-term Republican incumbent in one of the most hard-fought midterm contests US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results? The Democrat Troy Jackson has won Maine ’s US Senate race, toppling five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 midterms. Jackson, 58, unseated Collins – who has been in the Senate since 1997 – in a closely fought, and often rancorous, race characterized by mutual accusations of corruption and clashes…Guardian World · 4 Nov, 05:38
• Democrat Troy Jackson ousts longtime Republican Susan Collins in stunning Maine Senate upsetDemocrat Troy Jackson defeated longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, unseating the five-term incumbent who has represented Maine since 1997.Daily Mail · 4 Nov, 05:29
• GOP senator's 30-year reign ends as 5th-generation logger pulls off stunning upsetTroy Jackson's upset over Susan Collins ends her nearly three-decade Senate career and hands Democrats a critical pickup in the 2026 midterms.Fox News · 4 Nov, 04:34
• US voters share why they cast their ballots – from frustration with Trump to affordability concerns‘It’s the disregard for the rule of law. It just seems like they’re thumbing their nose at it’ In the battleground state of Maine , Todd Cox, 63, has supported the state’s incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins not once, but twice, in previous elections. Not this time. On Tuesday, Cox, a technology professional, cast his vote for Collins’ Democratic challenger Troy Jackson – driven not by pressing local issues, but broader concern “for the direction the country is going in”, he said. Continue reading...The Guardian · 3 Nov, 22:30
• Maine voters explain why they're voting for Troy Jackson or Susan CollinsJericka Duncan spoke with Maine voters about the tight race between Democrat Troy Jackson and Republican incumbent Susan Collins.CBS News · 3 Nov, 14:42
• Here's what Susan Collins and Troy Jackson are telling Maine voters ahead of the midtermsOne of Tuesday's midterm races to watch is in Maine, where five-term Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins is facing a challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson, the former Maine state senate president. CBS News' Jericka Duncan reports.CBS News · 2 Nov, 22:34
• Lobster industry caught in Maine’s political headwinds before US midtermsSenator Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson clash over tariffs and their impact on Maine's economy.Al Jazeera · 2 Nov, 15:54

In this story: Troy Jackson · Susan Collins · Maine · Donald Trump · Brett Kavanaugh · Democratic Party · Republican Party

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