MAINE — Kavanaugh joined the 6-3 conservative majority on the court that overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. The ruling reversed Roe v. Wade and directly affected millions of individuals in the United States, as abortion access was banned in much of the country.

Voters have expressed frustration with the outcome of that confirmation process. Erin Evans, a 56-year-old from Portland, Maine, described Collins' vote as a betrayal and stated she is backing Jackson in the upcoming election. She said she had been a really uninformed voter and thought any woman from Maine was probably in line with her. Evans added that she is just furious with herself for her previous votes for Collins.

Bente Lundh, 67, of Falmouth, Maine, stated that Collins' vote for Kavanaugh contradicted her positioning as a moderate. She said Collins had positioned herself as a moderate voter but had really chopped that down with her vote for Kavanaugh.

Jackson, a former state lawmaker and logger, launched his Senate campaign in July after Graham Platner withdrew from the Democratic nomination in summer following criticism of his past relationships with women and a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. Jackson previously opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage but states he changed his mind after talking to women. He announced a “Women for Troy” coalition made up of women from all 16 Maine counties and has secured endorsements from Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All.

Jackson states he worked to pass "some of the strongest protections for abortion access in the country" while serving as a top state senator. Prior to his current campaign, he served as Maine Senate president and majority leader and was involved in passing legislation that later became foundational to the state’s abortion protections after the Dobbs decision.

Outside spending has intensified around the race. Affordable Maine has spent nearly $10 million on ads stressing Collins' backing of Trump-appointed judges who oppose abortion. Win Senate has spent an additional $32 million on ads focused on Collins. Planned Parenthood Votes has spent at least $500,000 on ads featuring a female voter who regrets voting for Collins because of her Kavanaugh vote.

She points to her legislative record on reproductive rights. She has consistently supported abortion rights throughout her political career, including co-sponsoring the Women's Health Protection Act in 2022 and the Contraception Act in 2021. She was one of the few Republicans endorsed by Planned Parenthood earlier in her political career, according to an article detailing her evolving relationship with reproductive rights groups. She also voted to confirm Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who dissented in the Supreme Court's abortion ruling.

The senator has chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee since and has won elections for 30 years. In September, President Donald Trump canceled congressionally approved funding, a move she joined Democrats in condemning as an infringement on Congress's power of the purse. The White House stated that some of the canceled funds were clawed back from the Department of Health and Human Services for programs directing services toward refugees and asylum seekers. She questioned Dr. Heidi Overton during her nomination hearing to become FDA commissioner at the Senate HELP Committee, in Washington.

Historical voting patterns show a complex landscape for her. In 2020, 76% of Maine voters in the Senate race said the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade, VoteCast. However, 35% of voters who supported her in her successful re-election bid said they wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

Maine voters have spurned Republican presidential nominees, including Donald Trump, since 1988. Jackson and she initially sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, with Jackson losing.

Why It Matters

The election determines the representation of Maine in the U.S. Senate for a six-year term. Her stance on judicial confirmations and abortion rights remains a central issue as external organizations direct tens of millions of dollars toward advertising in the state. The outcome will reflect how Maine voters weigh her long tenure and moderate branding against her role in confirming justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.

Jackson seeks to consolidate support by showing his current pro-choice stance and legislative history in the state Senate, despite his past opposition to abortion rights. The contrast between her 2018 assurances regarding precedent and the 2022 Supreme Court decision frames the debate over judicial philosophy and reproductive access in a state that has historically leaned away from Republican presidential candidates.

Timeline

On October 1, 2018, she voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. On that same day, she delivered a 45-minute floor speech before announcing her decision on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation. Also on October 1, 2018, she stated before her 2018 vote that Brett Kavanaugh told her in a two-hour meeting that he viewed Roe v. Wade as settled law. The final Senate vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh was 50-48 on October 1, 2018.

On November 3, 2020, 35% of voters who supported her said they wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Wade, VoteCast. On January 1, 2022, she co-sponsored legislation to put federal protections for abortion into law. On June 24, 2022, Brett Kavanaugh joined the 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that Brett Kavanaugh met with her for two hours before her vote to confirm him, during which he stated that he viewed Roe v. Wade as settled law. Data shows that in 2020, the last time she sought re-election, 76% of Maine voters in the Senate race said the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade, VoteCast. Further figures indicate that in 2020, 35% of voters who supported her in her successful re-election bid said they wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Additional records show that in 2020, 35% of voters who supported her in her Senate re-election bid expressed support for overturning Roe v. Wade, VoteCast.

Background material states that the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade directly affected millions of individuals in the United States, as abortion access was banned in much of the country.

How Sources Differ

Sources present different figures regarding voter sentiment in 2020. Wade, VoteCast. Wade to be overturned.

There are gaps in detail regarding her record. One set of sources notes that she voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. Wade, VoteCast.

Further detail gaps exist regarding other confirmations. One set of sources states that she voted to confirm Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Another source focuses on the 2020 statistic that 76% of Maine voters in the Senate race said the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade, VoteCast.

Sources also differ on the framing of Supreme Court data. Wade, VoteCast. Another source cites AP VoteCast 2020 for the figure that 76% of Maine voters in the Senate race said the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade.

Regarding her supporters, one source states that in 2020, 35% of voters who supported her in her successful re-election bid said they wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Another source cites AP VoteCast 2020 for the figure that 35% of voters who supported her said they wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned.