Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins to flip Maine Senate seat blue

2026-11-04 06:39:33

Augusta, Maine - Maine Democrat Troy Jackson unseated long-time Republican Senator Susan Collins on Tuesday to flip the seat blue.

Democratic US Senate candidate Troy Jackson attends a midterm election watch party in Portland, Maine, on November 4, 2026. He defeated Republican incumbent Susan Collins to flip the seat blue. © REUTERS

From the start of the midterm cycle, Maine was tapped as one of the Senate seats with the greatest possibility of changing hands – a result Jackson delivered on Tuesday.

The former state senator won 53.5% of the vote in the Pine Tree State, with 77% of ballots counted, per the Associated Press.

The victory means Collins, who has held her Senate seat since 1997, will exit Congress come January.

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Jackson entered the Senate race late after ex-Democratic nominee Graham Platner's campaign crashed and burned amid a series of scandals.

The former logger ran on a platform calling for Medicare For All, lower prescription drug prices, higher taxes for billionaires and corporations, and abolishing ICE. He had the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders and a number of labor unions.

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