Democrat Troy Jackson unseats Republican Susan Collins in Maine Senate race

Jackson takes the seat

Democrat Troy Jackson, 58, won Maine's US Senate seat by defeating Republican incumbent Susan Collins, 73, who was seeking a sixth term. Projections by the New York Times and the Associated Press put Jackson ahead, and Collins conceded to him early on Wednesday, 4 November, ending nearly three decades in the Senate. Collins was first elected in 1996 and had represented the state in the Senate since 1997. Maine has about 1.4 million residents, and Collins chaired the Senate's powerful Appropriations Committee. Her defeat ends the run of the sole Republican member of Congress from New England.

A late replacement on the ballot

Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and labour organiser who once worked as a logger, entered the race in July after Democrats chose him at an extraordinary convention held in late July. He replaced Graham Platner, who withdrew after a series of scandals, including allegations of sexual assault that Platner has denied. Jackson had lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary before winning the Senate nomination at the convention. He has been active in state politics for about twenty years and backed Bernie Sanders in both of Sanders's bids for the presidency. Jackson campaigned on strengthening the economy and government accountability, and framed Collins as a Trump ally.

The campaign and the money

Republican groups spent $76m on the race, compared with $40m from Democrats, according to Al Jazeera. Jackson's campaign raised $26.9m through mid-October, slightly more than the $25.2m raised by Collins over the same period.

Republican groups76

Democrats40

Republican groups

76 $m

Democrats

40 $m

Data from the article text

Troy Jackson26.9

Susan Collins25.2

Troy Jackson

26.9 $m

Susan Collins

25.2 $m

Data from the article text

Collins distanced herself from Trump during the campaign but drew criticism for voting for Trump's legislation and judicial nominees after the Supreme Court ended abortion rights. She stressed her independence, pointing to her vote to remove Trump from office after the attack on the Capitol on 6 January 2021. She attacked Jackson's federal inexperience and his record in the state legislature. Jackson accused Collins of corruption, which she has denied, and in state debates he told the 73-year-old to shut up, a moment that drew national headlines.

Wider implications

Democrats also won control of the US House of Representatives, and the BBC reported that wins in several key states, including Texas and South Carolina, gave them control of the Senate. Democrats will therefore control all of Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump's presidency. Trump said the war with Iran and its effect on gasoline prices contributed to Republican losses, though he said he was surprised by the result. Maine's economy has been hit by Trump's tariff war with Canada, its northern neighbour and key trading partner, according to Al Jazeera. Collins directed tens of billions of dollars in federal funding to Maine, so her departure will reduce the state's influence in Congress, according to the New York Times.