Maine Senate race turns on costs and Collins’s ties to Trump

With Maine’s closely watched Senate race nearing its November 3 finish, household costs and Trump’s standing have become central issues. Democrat Troy Jackson is challenging Republican Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term. Recent polling has put them close, and Democrats view the contest as important to their hopes of winning the Senate.

Higher fuel prices are squeezing residents and businesses. Lobsterman Christian LaMontagne said the weekly cost to fill his boat’s tank has risen from about $350 to nearly $700 since the war with Iran began in late February. Heating oil is another pressure point: nearly half of Maine households rely on it, and the average price has topped $6 a gallon, a record, state figures show.

Jackson has portrayed himself as a working-class alternative to Collins and argued that her votes have helped Trump’s agenda, including a major policy bill that he says is hurting Maine. He has also criticized her over an FBI investigation into an alleged donor-related pay-to-play scheme. Collins’s office called that account false and said there had been no allegations of wrongdoing by her campaign.

Collins points to votes where she has opposed Trump or Republican priorities, including her opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act and support for requiring congressional approval before military action against Iran. She has also highlighted federal support for Maine, including a Bath Iron Works contract, heating-oil assistance and tariff exemptions. A Marist poll found 42% of likely Maine voters approved of Trump’s job performance, while 41% said their congressional vote was primarily against him.

Maine voters weigh costs as Collins faces Trump backlash

Maine voters facing sharply higher fuel and heating costs have a clear reason to question the Washington status quo. Lobsterman Christian LaMontagne said filling his boat now costs nearly $700 a week, roughly twice what it cost before the war with Iran began in late February. Heating oil has topped $6 a gallon, a record, and nearly half of Maine households depend on it.

Democrat Troy Jackson is making those pressures part of his case against Republican Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term. Jackson argues that Collins’s claims of independence cannot erase votes that helped Trump’s agenda, including her support for a procedural step that advanced a major policy bill with steep Medicaid cuts affecting Maine. He has also attacked her over an FBI investigation into an alleged donor-related pay-to-play scheme; Collins’s office has called the account false and said her campaign faced no allegations of wrongdoing.

Collins points to disagreements with Trump, including her opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act and support for limits on military action against Iran without congressional approval. But voters confronting the cost of fuel and winter heating are also judging the consequences of the administration’s policies. A Marist poll found 42% of likely Maine voters approved of Trump’s performance, while 41% said their congressional vote was primarily against him. The close November 3 contest could help determine control of the Senate.

Collins touts Maine wins as Jackson ties her to Trump

Maine’s Senate contest is not just a referendum on President Donald Trump. Republican Susan Collins is asking voters to weigh her record of delivering for the state and making independent decisions, as she seeks a sixth term against Democrat Troy Jackson on November 3.

Collins has pointed to a major Pentagon contract for Bath Iron Works, heating-oil assistance and tariff exemptions for Maine industries. She has also cited votes against repealing the Affordable Care Act, against Pete Hegseth’s defense secretary nomination and in favor of requiring congressional approval before military action against Iran. Those are concrete examples of her willingness to break with Trump and her party.

Jackson argues that Collins’s breaks have not meaningfully stopped Trump’s agenda, and he has highlighted her support for a procedural vote that let a major policy bill reach the Senate floor. But Collins opposed that bill’s final passage. She has also rejected claims surrounding an FBI investigation into an alleged donor-related scheme, with her office saying there were no allegations of wrongdoing by her campaign.

Rising energy costs are weighing on Maine households, and a Marist poll found only 42% of likely voters approved of Trump’s job performance. Still, Collins’s record of securing federal resources gives voters a reason to consider what a freshman senator could deliver, particularly if Democrats remain in the minority. The race is close, and its outcome could affect control of the Senate.