Maine Politics: Susan Collins Loses After 30-Year Senate Career

Troy Jackson defeated U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in the Maine Senate race on Tuesday, ending the Republican's 30-year tenure. Collins conceded the race by phone after Portland results erased her early lead. The loss marks the first time Maine voters have ousted a sitting senator since 1978. Jackson won by a margin of approximately six points in a contest that saw Democrats regain control of the Senate due to widespread dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.

Collins held a four-point lead with 30% of the vote counted at 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday. Her team began to worry about an hour earlier when results from Auburn showed a shift. The city, the largest fully counted at that time, backed Collins by eight points in 2020 but supported Jackson by nearly five points this time. By 1 a.m., Collins remained in her hotel suite at Bangor's Hilton Garden Inn. She watched CNN with about 10 family members while eating whoopie pies and drinking Polar seltzers.

Jackson told supporters in Portland that the campaign was difficult but pledged to represent all Maine voters. He noted that Collins and his team had a hard run. The senator-elect emphasized that he would serve as the representative for those who voted for Collins as well. Collins did not return to the ballroom where Semisonic's 'Closing Time' played in the early morning hours.

Collins served in the Senate for three decades, including a win in 2008 when Barack Obama carried the state. She previously defeated Sara Gideon by nearly nine points in 2020 despite trailing in polls. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, her campaign credited her with securing $1.5 billion in earmarks for Maine over the last five years. She never missed a roll-call vote during her tenure.

The race saw heavy spending from both sides. Republicans outspent Democrats $112.2 million to $85.9 million in ads after Jackson became the nominee in July. Jackson's campaign focused on Collins voting with Trump 96% of the time. His senior adviser, David Farmer, stated that the specific number mattered less than the message it conveyed in a polarized Senate. He argued that senators are either with Trump or against him.

Democrats drafted Jackson in July after Graham Platner quit the race following a sexual assault allegation. Jackson raised $31 million in about 100 days and held more than 100 public events. His team argued that heating costs and the price of goods, specifically a cord of wood, were central to the election. Jackson even dressed as a cord of wood at a Halloween event in Portland to emphasize the point.

Collins attempted to appeal to both ends of the electorate by hosting former Sen. Joe Manchin and appearing on conservative radio. Her campaign released tracking polls that swung within the margin of error in the final days. One poll showed her down six points. A staffer for Collins told reporters that the campaign would not react to what they called a lie in those surveys. The senator continued her bus tour, stopping at a bakery in Van Buren on the final day of her campaign.