Maine Senate race tied at 49-47 between Troy Jackson and Susan Collins, Suffolk poll finds
Democrat Troy Jackson leads Republican incumbent Susan Collins 49% to 47% in a new Suffolk University poll, keeping a race that could decide Senate control in play three weeks before Election Day.
The Senate race in Maine is tied, according to a new Suffolk University poll, with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson at 49% and Republican incumbent Susan Collins at 47%. The survey of 500 likely voters was conducted Oct. 8-11, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, and lands with control of the Senate on the line: Democrats must flip four Republican-held seats and hold their own to win the chamber.
Collins has kept the race close by holding a narrow edge among independent voters, the poll found, and drawing 14% of voters who disapprove of President Donald Trump. She also drew support from 5% of voters who backed Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, more than the support Jackson drew from voters who said they had backed Trump.
“Either through her seniority as senator, her branding as a moderate, or possibly from disgruntled Graham Platner voters who were forced to relinquish his Democratic Party nomination, somehow Collins is starting to erode the Democratic base of Jackson just enough to keep the race close,” said David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University’s Political Research Center. “As of today, the race hasn’t broken open.” Platner withdrew from the Democratic primary in July after a former girlfriend accused him of rape and sexual abuse, allegations he has denied.
The poll also found widespread discontent: Trump’s disapproval-approval rating stood at 57%-37%, 64% of respondents said the country is on the wrong track, and 58% rated Maine’s economic conditions as poor. Gas and fuel costs topped the list of household budget issues at 36%, nearly double groceries in second place. In Maine, where about two-thirds of households heat with petroleum products, fuel prices have neared record highs ahead of winter, with the war in Iran and the Russia-Ukraine conflict contributing to the surge.
Governor’s race and the road to Nov. 3
In the governor’s race, Democrat Hannah Pingree led Republican Robert Charles 49% to 38%, with independent Rick Bennett at 8% and 5% undecided. Term limits blocked incumbent Democrat Janet Mills from seeking a third term.
Collins and Jackson met for the third of four scheduled debates on the night of Oct. 13. Collins has campaigned on her independence from Trump, a theme shared by Republicans in other competitive midterm races, where two-thirds of GOP candidates are distancing themselves from the president, while Democrats have tried to tie her to him, including her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.
