Democratic challenger Troy Jackson has unseated five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine's U.S. Senate race, ending her nearly 30-year tenure. Collins conceded after midnight on November 4, 2026. Jackson's victory makes him the first Democrat to win a Maine Senate seat since 1988 and leaves the GOP on the verge of losing all Congressional representation in New England. Voters cited rising healthcare and living costs, along with backlash over Donald Trump and Collins's vote for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as key factors.
Impact on Republican representation in New England
- ▪Susan Collins's defeat leaves Maine's 2nd Congressional District race between Paul LePage and Matt Dunlap as the final contest determining whether Republicans retain any Congressional representation in New England
- ▪Susan Collins had been the sole Republican representing New England in either chamber of the U.S. Congress prior to her defeat by Troy Jackson in 2026
Graham Platner's candidacy and withdrawal
- ▪Troy Jackson entered the Maine Senate race in July 2026 after initial Democratic nominee Graham Platner withdrew following allegations of sexual assault
- ▪Initial Democratic nominee Graham Platner presented himself as a working-class oysterman despite attending a Connecticut boarding school costing over $75,000 annually and purchasing his home with a $200,000 loan from his father
Scrutiny of Troy Jackson's son and lobbying ties
- ▪In 2022, Troy Jackson's son Chace joined a corporate lobbying firm founded by Jackson's former chief of staff while Jackson served as Maine Senate president
- ▪Troy Jackson introduced legislation in the Maine Senate that benefited clients represented by his son Chace's corporate lobbying firm, including a bill regarding interest rate caps
Voter sentiment on Donald Trump
- ▪A October 2026 Marist poll found that 58 percent of likely Maine voters disapproved of President Donald Trump's performance, while 42 percent approved
- ▪An August 2026 Fox News poll found that more than half of Maine voters felt Senator Susan Collins voted with Donald Trump too often
Polling on voter economic concerns
- ▪A final Times/Siena poll released prior to the 2026 Maine Senate election showed 51 percent of Maine voters trusted Troy Jackson on the cost of living compared to 44 percent for Susan Collins
- ▪A October 2026 Marist poll indicated that 46 percent of likely Maine voters reported their family finances had worsened over the past year
- ▪An AARP Maine poll from October 2026 found that 80 percent of voters age 50 and older considered healthcare costs a key factor in their vote
Campaign advertising on abortion
- ▪Abortion rights served as the second largest focus of campaign ads in Maine during the 2026 Senate election cycle, following Trump and healthcare
- ▪Planned Parenthood Votes and a Democratic Senate super PAC heavily targeted Susan Collins in Maine using ad buys highlighting her 2018 vote confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court
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