Democrat Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger, beat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, ending her nearly 30-year run in the Senate.
Story Snapshot
- Troy Jackson defeated Susan Collins in Maine’s Senate race, ending her nearly 30-year Senate career.
- Major news organizations called the race for Jackson overnight after Election Day, and Collins called Jackson to concede.
- With 86% of the expected vote counted, Jackson led 53.8% to 46.1%, or 342,661 votes to 293,629.
- Jackson becomes the first Democrat to represent Maine in the Senate since 1995.
- Collins was the only Republican member of Congress from New England, so her loss leaves the region with none.
- Jackson replaced Democrats’ first nominee, Graham Platner, who quit the race in July after a former partner accused him of rape, which he denies.
Collins’ Three-Decade Run Ends in Decisive Loss
Maine voters went to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, and by early Wednesday, November 4, major news organizations had called the race for Jackson. Collins called him to concede. “It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Maine in the United States Senate,” she said in a statement, and she pledged a smooth handoff to his team. Collins, 73, was seeking a record sixth term and was the only Republican member of Congress from New England.
BREAKING: Another Senate Seat Flips! Susan Collins Unseated by Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine Senate Race https://t.co/Ed9CVKEg9F #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit
— ๐๏ธ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ ๐โจGod is awesome all the time๐ (@laura_7771) November 4, 2026
Jackson, 58, ran as a working-class populist and tied Collins to President Trump’s policies, which he blamed for higher gas prices and strain from tariffs. Reports credit Trump’s low approval ratings, an unpopular war with Iran and high fuel prices for helping Democrats across the country. Jackson was not the party’s first pick. Democrats’ original nominee, oyster farmer Graham Platner, quit in July after a former romantic partner accused him of rape. Platner denies the accusation and said leaving was not an admission of guilt. He said his campaign would lose its ability to raise money. Maine Democrats then chose Jackson at a special party convention.
With 86% of the expected vote counted, Jackson had 342,661 votes, or 53.8%, to 293,629 votes, or 46.1%, for Collins, according to election results reported Wednesday, November 4. Write-in candidates drew less than 1%. The win makes Jackson the first Democrat to represent Maine in the Senate since 1995.
Money and National Stakes Flooded the Race
Jackson grew up in rural Aroostook County, at the top of the state, and started working as a logger at 19. Calling him a fifth-generation logger means his family has cut timber for five generations. He later became president of the Maine state Senate, the top leader of that chamber. He lost the Democratic primary for governor in June before entering the Senate race.
The race was among the most expensive in the country. Nearly $218 million in broadcast ads was booked for the general election, the most per person of any Senate race, according to ad-tracking data reported in late October. Jackson outraised Collins, bringing in $26.6 million from July 7 through late October, compared with the $21.9 million Collins raised since January 2025, according to federal filings. Republicans still outspent Democrats on ads in Maine during parts of the fall, according to reports, as national Republicans backed Collins.
What the Loss Means for Senate Control
Collins had survived tough races before by keeping her distance from national Republicans when it suited her. In an October debate, she told voters she was “not exactly” Trump’s “favorite senator.” That balancing act did not hold in a year when Democrats gained ground across the country. Democrats were projected to win control of both the House and the Senate, according to projections reported Wednesday, November 4.
Maine uses ranked-choice voting, a system voters approved in 2016. Voters rank the candidates in order, and if no one wins more than half of the first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is dropped and those ballots move to each voter’s next pick. Jackson held more than half of the first-choice votes in the count reported Wednesday. The state still must certify the final results.
For conservatives, the loss stings beyond one seat. It leaves Republicans without a single member of Congress from New England and shows how a well-funded challenger can topple a longtime incumbent once thought safe. Republicans head into the next two years of President Trump’s second term without the Maine seat they held for nearly three decades.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, nhpr.org, nbcboston.com, opensecrets.org