CBS News poll finds voters split on state v. national focus in tied Maine Senate race

October 2, 2026 / 5:00 PM EDT / CBS News

Anyone who's walked its rugged coast or skied in its mountains knows Maine can get windy.But right now Maine's Senate race seems a bit insulated from the national political winds — which otherwise seem to favor the Democrats — at least enough to keep incumbent Republican Susan Collins in a tied race with Democrat Troy Jackson in a state that otherwise has a Democratic-leaning electorate.

Collins is drawing enough voters and enough of Maine's Democrats, while she is bolstered by those who say they're voting more on state matters than national ones, to keep the race at a tie.

And she has an edge on who would bring back more federal funds to Maine.

Jackson's challenge is that Collins peels off one in five voters who disapprove of Trump — a rate higher than what Republican congressional candidates get nationally.

Jackson's backing, in turn, is driven by those who think Collins is too much in agreement with President Trump, as well as by voters specifically opposed to tariffs, by those trying to give national Democrats control of the Senate and by those prioritizing change over experience.

A sizable 10% of…

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