Former Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson defeated U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, according to an Associated Press projection, ending the Republican's nearly three-decade run in the Senate and delivering one of the most significant Democratic victories of the election.
The result also carries national consequences. Democrats recaptured the Senate, and Jackson's victory removes a Republican incumbent whose electoral durability had made her one of the party's most difficult targets. Collins had repeatedly maintained support in Maine by presenting herself as an independent-minded lawmaker willing to break with her party.
A campaign shaped by Donald Trump
Jackson and his allies made the race a referendum on President Trump, arguing that Collins was too closely tied to an administration they said had become unpopular amid continuing inflation and an unpopular war in Iran. The strategy focused on persuading Democrats and left-leaning independent voters to use the Senate contest as a direct rebuke of the president.
Collins tried to preserve the political identity that had carried her through previous campaigns. Her campaign promoted her record of working across party lines, while Collins emphasized that she had frequently opposed Trump's positions. During a debate, she described her relationship with the president this way:
“I'm not exactly his favorite senator.”
A campaign advertisement also described Collins as “America's most bipartisan senator.” That argument had helped her separate herself from national Republicans in earlier elections. This time, however, the source of her strength was not enough to withstand the broader Democratic turnout effort, according to the campaign account.
Jackson entered the race under extraordinary circumstances
Jackson did not begin the general election campaign as the Democratic nominee. He became the party's candidate only after an upheaval during the summer left him with 101 days to build a statewide operation and introduce himself to voters.
Graham Platner, a former state senator who had won the Democratic primary, withdrew after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Platner has denied the allegations. Jackson then inherited a race against an incumbent with a long-established public profile and a proven ability to appeal to voters beyond the Republican base.
The compressed timetable forced Jackson to center his campaign on a small number of defining themes. He presented himself as a candidate from modest circumstances, pointing to his background as a logger and the son of teenage parents. He also criticized concentrated wealth and campaigned against what he characterized as the influence of billionaires in American politics.
Abortion rights became another central issue
Jackson repeatedly attacked Collins over her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He linked that vote to the court's later decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the ruling that had established a national constitutional protection for abortion rights.
That argument gave Democrats a way to connect a past Senate decision with a current national debate. It also placed Collins' effort to emphasize bipartisanship alongside one of the most consequential and divisive votes of her career.
| Campaign factor | Role in the race |
|---|---|
| National politics | Democrats used the contest to challenge Trump's standing in Maine. |
| Candidate switch | Jackson had 101 days to campaign after the primary winner withdrew. |
| Abortion rights | Jackson tied Collins' Kavanaugh vote to the end of Roe v. Wade. |
| Political identity | Collins defended her record as a bipartisan Republican. |
Republicans targeted Jackson personally
Republican messaging focused not only on Jackson's policy positions but also on his personal life and temperament. His opponents highlighted that his longtime partner is his second cousin. They also pointed to reports alleging that Jackson threw a water bottle across a room during an argument with a female legislator.
Jackson apologized for that incident. His campaign denied that he had physically intimidated or bullied anyone. The attacks underscored the degree to which both parties sought to define the candidate personally in a race that had become intensely competitive.
A more progressive voice for Maine
Jackson is expected to join the Senate's more progressive wing. He supports Medicare for All, is aligned with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and campaigned on an agenda that differs sharply from Collins' more centrist brand.
His arrival will give Maine a senator whose national profile is likely to be built around economic inequality, expanded health care and a more confrontational posture toward powerful business interests. At the same time, the circumstances of his nomination and the short general-election campaign mean that voters saw a highly compressed version of his case for office.
For Collins, the projection closes a Senate career defined by longevity, independence and repeated success in a state that has often supported Democratic candidates in national elections. Her defeat shows the limits of that formula when national party politics, the president's standing and the abortion debate converge in the same contest.
For Democrats, the Maine result is both a local upset and a national milestone. Jackson's victory gives the party a new senator from a state with a strong tradition of political independence while helping establish Democratic control of the chamber. The outcome also demonstrates that Collins' reputation for defying partisan expectations could not overcome the forces that drew voters toward Jackson in this election.
