Maine Senate Election: Who Will Win the 2026 Race

Maine's 2026 Senate race is drawing national attention as Republican incumbent Susan Collins seeks a sixth term against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, in a contest seen as pivotal to control of the chamber. Collins has emphasized independence from President Trump during campaign events, including a recent debate. Former Democratic-turned-independent Senator Joe Manchin, who endorsed Collins and called her "the soul of the Senate," is set to campaign alongside her at an event in central Maine this week. The race is one of several competitive statewide contests in Maine, alongside governor and congressional races, making the state a key battleground for the 2026 midterms.

Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Troy Jackson (D) met Tuesday for the first of four scheduled debates in Maine's closely watched Senate race, with polls showing the contest a near-even toss-up that could help decide Senate control. Jackson repeatedly pressed Collins over her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh, linking it to the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade; Collins said she disagreed with Kavanaugh's ruling but did not believe he misled her on the issue being "settled law."

Collins emphasized her pro-choice stance and independence from President Trump, disputing claims she votes with him 96 percent of the time and noting her opposition to his tax and spending package's final passage. Jackson countered that her earlier committee vote advancing the bill made her complicit. The two also split on immigration enforcement following a fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford, with Jackson calling for disbanding ICE and Collins favoring reform. The candidates also sparred over Trump's tariffs on Canada: Collins touted securing exemptions for road salt, concrete and pulp, while Jackson argued the carve-outs did little to offset broader price increases. Jackson entered the race after progressive primary winner Graham Platner withdrew amid misconduct allegations; three more debates are set over the coming weeks.

A Kansas Senate race that few expected to be competitive has tightened into a dead heat, with recent polling showing Republican incumbent Roger Marshall running even with Democrat Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor who was a registered Republican until earlier this year. Hamilton leads the Church of the Resurrection, a United Methodist congregation with 24,000 members, and has drawn national attention for a campaign style built around his pastoral background. Outside spending is surging into the race, with Senate Democrats' top super PAC committing $5 million and Republicans pledging $14 million to defend the seat.

The Kansas contest comes amid a broader wave of competitive Senate battlegrounds, including Georgia, Michigan, Maine, Texas, South Carolina, and Iowa, where recent debates turned personal and nonpartisan analysts have shifted ratings on 18 House races in Democrats' favor. For prediction markets, the race underscores growing uncertainty over Senate control in 2026, with a historically safe Republican seat now drawing heavy spending and shifting odds as Hamilton's unconventional candidacy gains traction in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned in Portland, Maine, for Democrat Troy Jackson, who is challenging Sen. Susan Collins in one of the midterms' most closely watched Senate races. Jackson, a logger from rural northern Maine, entered the race after Graham Platner's campaign collapsed amid sexual assault allegations. Ocasio-Cortez praised Jackson's willingness to campaign alongside a progressive New York lawmaker in a politically different state, and touted policies including Medicare for All and abortion and transgender rights. Jackson addressed concerns from Mainers wary of progressive politics, drawing on his own working-class upbringing. Democrats need to flip Maine and several other GOP-held seats to retake Senate control.

Maine Democrat Troy Jackson says he does not regret telling Sen. Susan Collins to "shut up" during their final debate, after a protester opposing data centers interrupted the event and Collins suggested the demonstrator was one of Jackson's supporters. Jackson denied any connection to the protester, identified as Bowdoin College student Henry Elgie; the Sunrise Movement claimed him as one of its own volunteers. Collins called Jackson's retort "telling," citing past criticism of his temper toward female colleagues. Jackson has acknowledged past outbursts but won't apologize. Days later, Democrats remain divided over whether his cautious, establishment-aided campaign can match Collins in the closely watched Nov. 3 race.

Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned across Maine this weekend for Democrat Troy Jackson, who is running a dead-heat race against five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. At stops in Bangor, Lewiston and Biddeford, Sanders and Jackson tied high living costs, gas and heating prices, and health care expenses to Republican control of Congress, while Sanders called President Trump "the most dangerous president in the history of America."

Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and state legislator, pitched himself as a working-class candidate who has struggled with his own mortgage and medical bills, and pointed to his record expanding free school lunches and gun background checks. Both candidates backed Sanders-style proposals including universal health care, taxing billionaires, and funding affordable housing and child care. Collins, 73, has previously outperformed polling but faces headwinds from inflation, an unpopular war in the Middle East and Trump-related voter fatigue, even among traditionally moderate Mainers. Polls currently show the race tied ahead of the November 3 election.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson met for their final debate before the final stretch of the Maine Senate race, this one hosted by Maine Public and The Portland Herald. Jackson again sought to tie Collins to President Trump's agenda, pointing to her vote advancing Trump's tax and spending bill despite her later opposition to the final version. Collins countered that she sides with Trump roughly 72 percent of the time, not the higher figures Jackson cited, and touted her votes to confirm three Democratic-nominated Supreme Court justices and her unsuccessful effort to block Pete Hegseth's confirmation as defense secretary. The Iran war remained contentious, with Jackson arguing Collins failed to use her Appropriations Committee chairmanship to cut off funding, while Collins defended her War Powers votes and said Congress should have been consulted.

A notable moment came when Jackson, who had pledged to reject billionaire and corporate PAC money, admitted receiving billionaire donations and $15,000 from oil and pharmaceutical interests, which he said he donated to charity. Collins also criticized his delayed financial disclosure. A protester briefly interrupted over AI data center concerns.

Maine's U.S. Senate race between Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson is rated among the closest in the country, raising the possibility that neither candidate wins a first-choice majority on election night. If so, the state would conduct its first-ever statewide ranked-choice count in a general election, a process that has taken up to a week to complete in past elections. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says her office is trying to speed up tabulation but is not promising quick results. Past ranked-choice counts in Maine have drawn legal challenges, and officials expect similar litigation here, echoing a recent Trump-backed effort to block certification in Alaska's ranked-choice Senate race.

A new CNN/SSRS poll shows Democratic Senate candidates with slight, within-margin-of-error leads in two closely watched races. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers 47% to 44% among likely voters. In Maine, Troy Jackson leads incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins 48% to 45%. Both races are considered pivotal to which party controls Congress after the November midterms.

Cost of living and dissatisfaction with President Trump were top concerns for voters in both states, with roughly two-thirds disapproving of his job performance and majorities calling his tariffs harmful. In Maine, Jackson's edge appears driven more by opposition to Collins than enthusiasm for him, with most of his supporters framing their vote as "against" her. In Michigan, a sizable share of voters see El-Sayed as "too liberal," though many still view him as "about right." Both races remain highly competitive, with meaningful shares of persuadable voters in each state ahead of Election Day.