Susan Collins Concedes as Democrat Troy Jackson Flips Maine Senate Seat
Republican Sen. Susan Collins has conceded her race in Maine, ending a Senate career that began nearly three decades ago and handing Democrats a crucial pickup.
Democrat Troy Jackson defeated Collins on Tuesday. She was seeking a sixth term and was Maine's longest-serving member of Congress, having first won her seat in 1996.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Maine in the United States Senate,” Collins said. She added that she had called Jackson to congratulate him and that her staff would help ensure a smooth transition.
Her defeat also costs Republicans the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful posts in the chamber, overseeing federal spending.
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Collins had long argued that her experience and her place at the head of that committee allowed Maine to punch above its weight when it came to securing federal resources and advancing the state's priorities in Washington.
A Logger From Aroostook County
Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former president of the Maine Senate, ran as a working-class Democrat with close ties to organized labor. He previously represented parts of Aroostook County in the Legislature.
“Maine, I owe you everything,” Jackson wrote on X after his projected victory, promising to remember his roots and the people he will represent.
He argued during the campaign that he would take on Washington's establishment and wealthy interests, putting the economy and labor issues at the center of his message.
His victory gives Democrats a senator with experience running a state legislative chamber and deep connections to rural Maine, a part of the state where Republicans have often been strong.
A Turbulent Path to Victory
Jackson was not Democrats' original nominee. He replaced Graham Platner, who withdrew from the race in July amid sexual-assault allegations. The Maine Democratic Party then voted to put Jackson on the ballot.
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His shortened campaign hit another bump when reports said his partner, the mother of his children, was also his second cousin. According to those reports, the couple share great-grandparents.
The party's swap gave Democrats a seasoned former legislative leader after the collapse of their first nominee's campaign had threatened to cost them one of their best pickup opportunities in the country.
Despite the controversy, Jackson beat a Republican who had survived again and again in a state that has been trending toward Democrats in presidential races. Collins won reelection by nearly nine points in 2020.
Collins Leaned on Independence
Collins ran on her independent streak, bipartisan dealmaking and accomplishments on infrastructure, veterans, rural communities and federal aid for Maine. She argued that her seniority and committee leadership gave the state an edge in Washington.
Democrats focused on her relationship with President Donald Trump, arguing that her moderate image clashed with support for his policies. They also hammered her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Collins pushed back by pointing to times she broke with Trump and her party, and suggested Trump himself would reject the idea that he controlled her. Former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin even joined her on the trail in the final weeks.
It was not enough. Her loss removes one of the GOP's most resilient statewide candidates and gives Democrats a flipped seat rather than just a defended one, a difference that matters greatly in the battle for Senate control.