Troy Jackson wins 2026 Maine Senate election, ousting Susan Collins and flipping seat for Democrats

Updated on: November 4, 2026 / 1:27 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — Democrat Troy Jackson defeated GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the Maine Senate race, CBS News projects, in a key victory for Democrats who have sought for decades to oust the Republican senator.

Maine Democrats selected Jackson, 58, as their nominee in July, after the party's initial nominee Graham Platner withdrew following an allegation of sexual assault. Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who lost his bid for governor earlier this year, previously served as president of the Maine state Senate and has billed himself as a champion of the working class.

Jackson faced off against Collins, who was the sole Republican incumbent seeking reelection in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024, making the race Democrats' clearest pickup opportunity. But the five-term senator, with a history of breaking with President Trump, had survived political headwinds in the past. And after Democrats' chaotic primary process, Jackson's path to victory in the Pine Tree State remained tenuous.

Collins, 73, questioned Jackson's effectiveness as a legislator, while she touted the influence in the Senate that she has wielded for Maine's benefit. But Jackson argued Collins hasn't gone far enough in her…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/