Overview
- In a Tuesday debate, the first of four scheduled, Susan Collins and Troy Jackson traded sharp attacks on Trump, abortion and the cost of living and produced a viral Jackson line about affordability.
- Collins sought to distance herself from President Trump, stressing her seniority as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and citing $1.5 billion for 672 Maine projects to argue she delivers for the state.
- Jackson pushed to nationalize the race by repeatedly linking Collins to the president and her 2018 Kavanaugh vote while highlighting affordability, support for Medicare for All, and calls to reform or abolish ICE.
- Recent ProPublica reporting about an FBI inquiry tied to Collins’ office was raised onstage; Collins called the allegations "completely false," no charges have been filed, and the item remains a live political attack point.
- Polls continue to show a neck-and-neck contest, outside groups are spending heavily, and the next debates plus early voting are now the main battlegrounds that could tip a Senate majority outcome.