Democratic former state Sen. Troy Jackson is scrambling to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a pivotal Maine Senate race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Jackson became the nominee in late July 2026 after Graham Platner dropped out amid sexual assault allegations. Facing a shortened campaign window, a multi-million dollar fundraising deficit, and heavy GOP ad spending, Jackson is struggling to unite Platner's progressive base while introducing himself to skeptical voters.
Polling in the Senate race
- ▪A New York Times/Siena College/Portland Press Herald poll conducted in September 2026 showed Susan Collins leading Troy Jackson by 3 percentage points.
- ▪A University of New Hampshire poll conducted in September 2026 showed Troy Jackson leading Susan Collins 51% to 47% among Maine likely voters.
- ▪In a September 2026 New York Times/Siena College poll, 10% of likely Maine voters had not heard of Troy Jackson or lacked an opinion of him, which was nearly seven times the number who said so of Susan Collins.
Campaign fundraising and spending
- ▪Republican groups spent over $80 million on advertising in the 2026 Maine Senate race by mid-September 2026, while Democratic groups spent less than $60 million
- ▪Troy Jackson's campaign is operating at a significant financial disadvantage, having raised $7 million by mid-August 2026 compared to Susan Collins's $18 million raised by the end of June 2026.
Collins campaign strategy
- ▪Collins-aligned campaign advertisements have featured footage of Troy Jackson and Graham Platner greeting each other to highlight their political connection.
- ▪Susan Collins's campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen criticized Troy Jackson's legislative record, stating that the more voters learn about Jackson's work in Augusta, the less impressed they will be.
The replacement of Graham Platner
- ▪The Maine Democratic Party selected Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner at a statewide emergency nominating convention held on July 25, 2026.
- ▪Democratic consultants have attempted to distance Troy Jackson from Graham Platner, advising Jackson not to say Platner's name, which has alienated some of Platner's original volunteers.
- ▪Graham Platner, the original Democratic nominee, dropped out of the 2026 Maine Senate race in July 2026 following an allegation of sexual assault, which Platner denies
Troy Jackson's campaign timeline and organization
- ▪Troy Jackson's campaign has put together an on-the-fly organization of approximately 40 employees and hundreds of volunteers, with few transitioning from Graham Platner's original campaign, whom Jackson replaced as nominee
- ▪Democratic candidate Troy Jackson faces a shortened campaign timeline of just over 100 days to introduce himself to Maine voters after becoming the nominee in late July 2026.
Susan Collins's record
- ▪Susan Collins, first elected in 1996, is a five-term incumbent with nearly three decades of political ubiquity and established campaign infrastructure in Maine.
- ▪Republican Senator Susan Collins forcefully denied allegations from a ProPublica report that her office was involved in a pay-to-play scheme during her 2020 campaign.
National significance of the race
- ▪Susan Collins is the only Republican senator up for reelection in 2026 in a state that Kamala Harris won by 7 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
- ▪The 2026 Maine Senate race is considered crucial for determining control of the U.S. Senate, where Democrats need to pick up four Republican-held seats while defending three of their own
Debatable claims
- ▪Troy Jackson's association with Graham Platner is a fatal liability for his campaign
- ▪Troy Jackson's progressive platform is too extreme for Maine voters
- ▪Susan Collins is too closely aligned with Donald Trump to represent Maine effectively
- ▪Susan Collins's long tenure in the Senate has made her out of touch with Maine voters
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