A testy final debate in Bangor

Democratic nominee Troy Jackson told Republican Senator Susan Collins to "shut up" during the fourth and last debate of their Maine race, held Thursday night, 15 October, in a theater in Bangor. The exchange came while Collins was answering a question and a protester opposing data centers began shouting. Moderators asked for the demonstrator to be removed, and Collins said the person was "obviously one of Troy's supporters." Jackson replied that he did not know the protester. When the debate ended, the two candidates did not acknowledge each other. In a social media post afterwards, the Maine Republican Party called the remark "unacceptable behavior."

Loyalty to Trump at the center of the race

Collins and Jackson traded accusations about party loyalty. Collins portrayed Jackson as a guaranteed vote for the Democratic Party, while she pointed to a record of independence. Jackson disputed that description and said Collins stays loyal to Trump when his administration needs key votes. He also described her votes against Trump as "managed votes" that are decided in advance.

“What I know is that 100% of the time when Donald Trump goes to Susan Collins for a vote, he gets it.”

Asked to name a time she defied the Republican Party, Collins cited her effort to oppose Pete Hegseth's nomination as defense secretary and said she organized Republicans to vote no. Hegseth was confirmed anyway, after Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), who is retiring, changed his mind at the last minute. Tillis has since called that decision the "biggest regret" of his career. In an earlier debate, Collins made her case for independence with a specific count.

“The fact is, this year alone, this Congress alone, I voted against President Trump 137 times.”

Collins has also used the phrase "Gulf of Mexico" instead of Trump's preferred "Gulf of America" as she distances herself from the president.

Fundraising and polls

Jackson's campaign said it raised $20.4 million in the third quarter, the first quarter in which he had fundraised since entering the race late. Collins's campaign said she raised $5.2 million in the same period, leaving her campaign with less money to close the gap.

Troy Jackson campaign20.4

Susan Collins campaign5.2

Troy Jackson campaign

20.4 USD million

Susan Collins campaign

5.2 USD million

Data from the article text

Polling remains tight. A New York Times/Siena University poll from mid-September suggested Collins could be ahead by 3%, while other surveys indicate Jackson is in the lead. The New York Times described the candidates as running neck and neck with 19 days until Election Day.

Two candidates from the same county

Both candidates grew up in Aroostook County, which Mainers call "The County". Collins, 73, first won her seat in 1996 and helped out in potato fields during harvest breaks from school in Caribou. Jackson is a fifth-generation logger from the remote St. John Valley and a former president of the Maine Senate, where he spent six years leading the chamber, according to the Washington Post. The New York Times notes that Jackson is trying to ride the populist wave that first lifted Trump.

What comes next

The general election takes place on 3 November, and control of Congress is at stake. Axios describes the Maine contest as one of a handful of races that will determine the Senate majority. Collins is seeking a sixth term. The BBC also reports that in Iowa, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson faces Democrat Josh Turek in a race where some polls suggest Turek has a narrow lead.