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GOP senator’s 30-year reign ends as 5th-generation logger pulls off stunning upset
Fifth-generation logger Troy Jackson has defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine, according to the Fox News Decision Desk projection. The result ends Collins’ nearly 30 years in the Senate and gives Democrats a significant gain in a closely watched contest that could affect control of the chamber.
Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate, ran as a working-class Democrat and labour advocate after replacing Graham Platner as the party’s nominee. Collins, first elected in 1996 and a former chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, argued that her independence, seniority and work on infrastructure and veterans’ issues benefited Maine; Democrats challenged her record on Trump-backed policies and her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. Collins conceded and said she would help ensure a smooth transition.
In short
- Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins in Maine.
- Collins’ nearly 30-year Senate career ends.
- The result gives Democrats a major pickup.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Jackson’s victory can be seen as voters choosing a candidate with deep roots in Maine’s logging communities and a record as a labour advocate. His campaign also offered a chance to change direction on issues where voters opposed Collins’s support for Trump-backed policies or her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh.
The case against
Collins’s supporters can argue that her nearly three decades in the Senate brought seniority, influence and practical results on infrastructure and veterans’ issues. Her stated independence and experience may have seemed valuable to voters seeking effective representation, even where they disagreed with particular votes.
Explained simply
Maine is a state in the north-east of the United States. It elects two senators to the US Senate, where lawmakers represent their states and vote on national laws, spending and government appointments.
Susan Collins has represented Maine in the Senate since 1997 and is a Republican. Troy Jackson is a Democrat, a former leader of Maine’s state senate and a logger whose family has worked in the trade for generations. The campaign centred on their records and priorities, including jobs, federal spending and national policy.
The Senate’s balance of seats affects which party can shape legislation and approve presidential appointments. A change in Maine’s seat therefore matters beyond the state, particularly when control of the chamber is closely contested.
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