Troy Jackson Defeats Susan Collins in Maine Senate Race

Democrat Troy Jackson has defeated Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, the Associated Press reports. The former logger and Maine Senate president will replace an incumbent who had served in Washington for nearly 30 years.

Maine Public’s report, carried by WBUR, says AP called the contest at 1:02 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Collins conceded before the call and said her staff would help ensure a smooth transition.

Jackson’s supporters interrupted his victory speech in Portland to sing the union anthem Solidarity Forever, Maine News Now reported. The celebration followed a campaign that put his work and labor affiliations at its center.

Jackson is a longtime union member whose platform emphasized wealth inequality and universal health care. Maine Public describes those positions as close to the economic agenda of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

On his campaign’s policy platform, Jackson promises to support and cosponsor Medicare for All legislation and expand the federal government’s role in negotiating prescription-drug prices. These are proposals for his Senate term, rather than changes produced by Tuesday’s result.

His labor agenda includes support for the PRO Act, intended to make union organizing and collective bargaining easier. The platform also calls for a federal right to abortion, stronger LGBTQ+ civil-rights protections and higher taxes on billionaires and large corporations.

Jackson entered the Senate contest in late July, after Graham Platner left the race. Democrats selected Jackson to replace their nominee, giving him a much shorter general-election campaign than the candidates who had been running since the primary season.

That route matters when describing the win: Jackson did not defeat a Democratic incumbent in a Senate primary. Maine News Now reports that Democrats chose him at a special statewide convention and that labor unions quickly organized behind him.

Collins emphasized her ability to bring federal resources to Maine and her position leading the Senate Appropriations Committee. Jackson repeatedly challenged her support for Trump appointees and her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Jackson’s campaign also backs a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks and expanded tax credits for working families. Turning those positions into law will require votes beyond Maine’s new senator.

The AP call resolves the race for the seat; it is separate from the official certification of the vote. For Maine, the immediate change is a new senator whose campaign made organized labor and universal health care central commitments.