The Senate race in Maine is heating up as Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson prepare for the midterm election scheduled for Tuesday. With only four days remaining, polls show Collins at 45% of the vote and Jackson at 49%, a narrow margin that could influence the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Collins has represented Maine in the Senate since 1996 and has won every election she has contested. She is described as a moderate Republican. Her campaign has faced criticism for a radio advertisement that attacked Jackson’s personal life, claiming that his long‑time partner, Lana Pelletier, is his second cousin. The ad, which was released as a song, included the line, “If he can betray his own family, he will betray yours.” Collins’ spokesperson, Blake Kernen, said the senator requested the ad be removed, a request attributed to the Senate Leadership Fund. Jackson’s campaign maintains that Collins was aware of and approved the ad. Pelletier, a social worker and mother of Jackson’s two children, responded in an op‑ed for a local newspaper, saying she never imagined the campaign would go to such lengths. The campaign has also featured four debates held over ten days and a series of Republican ads portraying Jackson as unpredictable. One ad highlighted a moment from a debate in which Jackson told Collins to “shut up,” a phrase that opponents have used to question her treatment of women. Jackson, a third‑generation logger and former state legislator, has focused his attacks on Collins’ support for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget. This criticism comes amid protests in Maine following the death of Colombian immigrant Johan Sebastián Durán at the hands of an ICE agent. Jackson also accuses Collins of policies that have harmed Maine families, citing higher fuel and heating costs, rising housing prices, and her support for Supreme Court justices nominated by former President Donald Trump who later overturned federal abortion protections. Jackson entered the race after former Democratic candidate Graham Platner withdrew amid sexual assault allegations. In a final message before the election, Jackson posted a video on X in which he walked through a forest and addressed voters directly. He said, “From where I come, you don’t buy firewood from people who don’t keep their word, who cheat and lie. I would not buy even a cubic meter of firewood from Susan Collins. And I certainly would not vote for her for the U.S. Senate.” The contest is taking place against a backdrop of declining Trump popularity, heightened tensions with Iran, rising oil prices, and the impact of tariffs—factors that have fueled criticism of Republican representation in Washington. Maine, which Trump lost in 2024, is a key state for both parties as they seek to control the Senate.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario