US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) departs after an evening Senate vote at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., US, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has officially conceded the race in the race against Democrat Troy Jackson.
Collins struggled to recover from a horrific debate performance in early October that raised questions about whether she was capable of understanding the plight of Americans suffering in President Donald Trump's economy. Collins touted her chief accomplishment in the affordability fight: lowering tariffs on road salt.
Jackson shot back, "You can't eat road salt." It prompted Collins critics to note she was out of touch with those fighting for affordable food and fuel. In this economy, some Mainers are more focused on the high price of beef and the heightened trade war with neighboring Canada.
It was made worse when Collins was criticized by Jackson for being a government employee for most of her adult life and having employer-funded health care. Collins retorted that once she went a year without health insurance.
Collins has also been criticized in the past few years for voting for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his stance against reproductive freedom. Collins has always maintained she was pro-choice, but her recent votes haven't shown that. So, while Collins has won big with female voters, there was a concern this time around that she could lose ground with those horrified by the elimination of reproductive rights.
The Cook Political Report listed the race as a toss-up, and as with many of Collins' past elections, polls had her neck and neck.
A Marist survey conducted October 1–4 put Jackson ahead with 51 percent to Collins' 47 percent among registered voters. In that poll, Independents favored Jackson 52–45.
Meanwhile, a CBS News/YouGov poll put the race at a 50–50 tie.
There was an unusual demographic division in the polls ahead of the election, showing that Collins was heavily favored by voters over 50 (53–44). While Jackson had a 25-point advantage over Collins among those under 50, the AARP poll said.
While some generations have been known to have large political participation, particularly among progressives, recent 18-29-year-old voters have increasingly favored Trump. So, the question came down to turnout.
The key part of the Maine election was that 2026 was shaping up to be an anti-incumbent year, and Collins had been in office for nearly 30 years. Unlike in other races, Republicans focused their attacks on Jackson's finances, including taxes and the cost of living. It bucks the GOP's national message, which has focused on transgender children.