Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Susan Collins in Maine Senate race

Democrat Troy Jackson, a 58-year-old former logger, defeated Republican Susan Collins in the U.S. Senate race in Maine, ending her five-term tenure and breaking a Republican winning streak in the state. Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, entered the race after the party's initial candidate withdrew following a rape accusation. He won a seat Collins had held since 1996, despite Maine's Democratic lean in presidential elections, with the campaign focused on living costs and the lobster fishing industry. Jackson rose from organizing protests against Canadian workers in the 1990s to lead the state Senate from 2018 to 2024. He shifted from conservative stances on abortion and guns to progressive positions, while Republicans attacked him as a "Bernie Bro" and linked him to his predecessor.