Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me. defended her independent political record in the first debate leading up to the midterms, as Democratic challenger Troy Jackson attacked her for being insufficiently critical of the Trump administration.
Throughout the debate, Collins was keen to emphasize her differences with specific administration policies. She mentioned her past criticism of the current tariff policy with Canada, saying, “Canada is not China. It is our neighbor, our friend, our closest ally, and our biggest trading partner.” She also stated that in her view, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was in need of “serious reform,” while rejecting Democratic calls to abolish the agency.
For his part, Jackson attempted to recast Collins as an acolyte of President Donald J. Trump, and recited familiar liberal talking points, claiming, “I don’t fight for the billionaires like she does.” He attacked Collins for her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, despite her support for Roe v. Wade. Collins responded that she had voted to confirm both Republican and Democratic-nominated Supreme Court justices in the past, and drew attention to the fact that Jackson had taken an anti-abortion stance early in his political career.
In addition to outlining her differences with the Trump administration, Collins also argued that her seniority in the Senate has allowed her to secure federal funding for projects throughout Maine. She stated that she had brought home $1.5 billion in the last five years, citing infrastructure and rural hospitals as among the sectors that had benefited.
Democrats have their sights set on Maine as a pivotal state for flipping the Senate. The party has had a rocky road in challenging Collins, though, with its original firebrand leftist nominee Graham Platner dropping out due to sexual assault allegations, and many liberals viewing Jackson as lacking in the charisma department. Despite Maine’s status as a reliable blue state, Collins has managed to consistently win reelection to the Senate since her first victory in 1996.
It remains to be seen whether Jackson’s strategy of painting Collins as a Trump devotee makes an impact. As she put it during the debate, she is “not exactly his [Trump]’s favorite senator,” and she previously outperformed Trump by seven points in the state during the 2020 election.
