MAINE — The Maine U.S. Senate race is between Republican incumbent Susan Collins and Democratic nominee Troy Jackson. Jackson was nominated as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine on July 25, 2026, replacing Graham Platner.

Platner suspended his U.S. Senate campaign in July 2026 following an allegation of rape, which he denies. The official record states that Jackson received 566 votes of the 571 cast by party delegates at the convention. This total represents 99.1% of the votes cast.

Jackson served in the Maine Senate from 2008 to 2014 and 2016 to 2024, serving as its president and majority leader from 2018 to 2024. He represented parts of northern Aroostook County, including the towns of Fort Kent, Madawaska, and Caribou, during his time in the state legislature. Jackson admitted to getting into shouting matches with colleagues during his time as a state lawmaker and has apologized for it.

Collins has been United States Senator from Maine since 1997. She has chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee since 2025. Collins is the only sitting Republican Senator up for reelection in 2026 who represents a state that Donald Trump lost in the 2024 presidential election.

The contest features contrasting records on abortion rights. Jackson initially opposed abortion rights but later voted to expand access in recent years. "I'm rock solid on this now, and Susan has been the opposite," Jackson said in an interview with Maine Public Radio.

"She's made sure that everyday people across this country have a real challenge to get abortion access." Collins' campaign communications director Blake Kernen disputed this characterization. "This was a conversion motivated by political convenience and marked a complete reversal of his long-held positions," Kernen said in a statement. "In contrast, Senator Collins is a champion for women, and her pro-choice views have never changed." Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018. She stated in June that she does not regret her vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

Republicans have spent millions of dollars on advertisements linking Platner to Jackson, according to data from AdImpact. Platner is an American oyster farmer, Marine Corps veteran, and politician who was the Democratic nominee in the 2026 US Senate election in Maine until he ended his campaign in July.

The outcome of the race may depend on women and independent voters. Women comprised nearly 60% of total voter turnout in Maine in the 2020 election, according to exit polling. In that election, women voters in Maine voted for Joe Biden by 23 percentage points, according to exit polling.

However, Collins won women voters in Maine by three points in 2020, according to exit polling. Independents comprise almost one-third of voters in Maine, according to Democrat Emily Cain. "Women voters in Maine are the majority of voters, and so you have to take them seriously," Cain said. "Independents are almost a third of voters in Maine. But the majority of voters are women who are older. So the people who decide statewide races typically are independents who are also a majority women."

Why It Matters

This contest determines the fate of the only Republican senator facing reelection in a state won by Democrats in 2024, potentially altering the Senate's partisan balance. With women comprising nearly 60% of Maine's 2020 electorate and independents making up almost one-third, the outcome hinges on these demographics despite conflicting campaign narratives regarding abortion rights and candidate conduct. The race also tests whether Republican advertising linking the new Democratic nominee to his predecessor's suspended campaign influences this critical voting bloc.