Republican Senator Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, recently went head-to-head in a Maine Senate debate, trading well-worn jabs as recent polling points to a fiercely contested race.
Broadcast by WMTW-TV and moderated in partnership with PolitiFact, the hour-long forum featured sharp exchanges over abortion policy, trade tariffs, the conflict involving Iran, and the frequency with which Collins has backed President Donald Trump’s legislative goals.
The atmosphere occasionally grew contentious. Collins dismissed an investigative report by ProPublica—which detailed her interactions with a defense contractor who ultimately admitted to unlawful campaign contributions—as “absolutely false.”
Later in the program, Jackson claimed that Collins was personally profiting from the war in Iran. Collins fired back, calling the assertion “outrageous” and demanding an apology.
The two opponents did find rare common ground on Social Security, with Collins agreeing with Jackson that high-income earners ought to contribute higher taxes to the program. Interestingly, a political action committee supporting Collins has previously run ads arguing that this exact platform means Jackson favors “raising taxes on your Social Security.”
Below is an examination of several prominent statements made during the encounter.
Abortion
Jackson: Collins “put people like Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court that took away Roe v. Wade.”
While Collins did vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the high court, drawing a straight line between her vote and the eventual dismantling of Roe v. Wade is an oversimplification.
It is worth noting that Collins also supported Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, both appointed by President Barack Obama, who were part of the minority that sought to preserve Roe.
During the intense 2018 Senate confirmation battle over Kavanaugh, Collins delivered a lengthy address detailing her rationale. She maintained that she sought to safeguard abortion access and noted that Kavanaugh had assured her the precedent protecting abortion rights was constitutionally grounded and long-standing.
Her vote served as a critical tie-breaker, though then-Vice President Mike Pence was positioned to break a tie in Kavanaugh’s favor anyway.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in 2022 to uphold a Mississippi restriction on abortions after 15 weeks, with Kavanaugh in the majority. The ruling concluded nearly five decades of federally protected abortion rights, shifting authority back to individual states.
Collins expressed disappointment regarding the final ruling, though she maintained that her confirmation vote was correct.
Collins: Jackson, “from the year 2000 until he ran for the House seat in 2013-2014, was very anti-choice” on abortion policy.
This statement holds up to scrutiny.
Jackson’s stance on abortion has evolved over time. In both 2003 and 2010, the anti-abortion organization Maine Right to Life awarded him top marks, and in 2011, he supported legislation establishing criminal penalties for offenses directed at an “unborn” child.
Over the past ten years, however, Jackson has embraced the Democratic platform supporting abortion access. He has earned top ratings from Planned Parenthood affiliates in recent cycles and voted in 2023 to secure abortion protections within the state following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe.
Jackson mentioned to The New York Times that his Catholic upbringing made it challenging for him to reconcile his personal views earlier in life.
Electric rates
Collins: “It’s under Troy’s leadership that electric rates in Maine became the fourth highest in the nation.”
This claim stretches the facts.
Jackson served as Maine Senate president from 2018 through 2024. Back in 2018, Maine held the eighth spot nationwide for electricity expenses, trailing states like Hawaii, California, and New York.
By 2024, Maine maintained its eighth-place standing, tied with New York. The jurisdictions with costlier electricity included Hawaii, California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alaska, and New Hampshire.
Nevertheless, utility bills in Maine climbed significantly during that timeframe, jumping 46% from 13.44 cents per kilowatt-hour to 19.66 cents.
Data indicates that Jackson’s legislative record is not the primary driver of these rising costs.
While Collins’ campaign highlighted Jackson’s 2023 vote against a bill meant to rein in expenses tied to the state’s Net Energy Billing renewable energy initiative, he subsequently supported a separate, successful overhaul measure.
A report released by the state public advocate in late 2026 showed that an average Central Maine Power household bill went from about $91 in October 2020 to roughly $157 by October 2026—a 72% surge.
The advocate’s office noted that multiple factors are at play, pointing primarily to escalating natural gas costs across New England, followed by infrastructure repairs necessitated by severe storms.
The renewable energy incentive program “added about $9” to monthly statements, the public advocate noted, adding that focusing exclusively on that policy overlooks the broader economic pressures driving the other $57 of the increase.
Iran war
Jackson: “Sen. Collins and her husband are making money off of this war.”
Though Collins’ husband, Thomas Daffron, does hold investments in the defense and energy sectors, they represent a minor portion of their total net worth, which is estimated between $4 million and $10 million.
Daffron holds shares in two major U.S. military contractors, Boeing and RTX. Financial disclosures filed in May 2025 indicate he held between $15,001 and $50,000 in each company, alongside a similar stake in Conoco-Phillips.
A representative for Collins explained that a third-party manager handles these holdings and that no individual equities have been purchased or liquidated from the portfolio in over three years.
Collins’ voting record
Jackson: “Sen. Collins is voting with Donald Trump 96% of the time.”
This figure is close, though slightly dated.
An evaluation of roll-call votes from the start of Trump’s second term through early October showed Collins aligned with the administration’s stance roughly 92% of the time, following a roughly 90% agreement rate during his first term.
These tracked votes represent only a subset of total congressional votes.
Among Senate Republicans, only Rand Paul (85%) and Lisa Murkowski (90%) registered lower rates of alignment.
The 96% metric originated from an older regional news report that utilized previous legislative data.
Throughout Trump’s two terms, Collins has opposed the administration’s position 76 times, trailing only Senator Paul. Notable instances include her 2026 vote alongside Democrats to block a multi-billion-dollar federal fund for Trump allies, as well as her support for a resolution withdrawing U.S. forces from hostilities involving Iran. During Trump’s initial term, she also voted to preserve the Affordable Care Act.
Challenging Jackson’s assertion, Collins countered that analyzing a broader cross-section of votes puts her alignment closer to 72%.
Observers note that legislative scoring can vary depending on the specific methodology applied, with Collins’ team relying on a more comprehensive accounting than standard roll-call tallies.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Collins, defending her vote to advance the domestic policy package despite cuts to Medicaid and rural facilities: “I created the $50 billion rural healthcare fund.”
Health analysts have pointed out that these designated funds will not completely offset the reductions imposed by the legislation.
Collins spearheaded the Rural Health Transformation Program to channel $50 billion over five years into state rural health initiatives. Maine announced plans to distribute $30 million of those federal dollars to local hospitals.
However, KFF, a prominent health policy research organization, estimated that the $50 billion injection will only partially cushion the blow of roughly $137 billion in nationwide Medicaid reductions expected over a decade.
State projections from mid-2025 indicated that tens of thousands of MaineCare expansion beneficiaries could risk losing coverage due to updated work mandates.
Meanwhile, economic pressures and staffing hurdles have forced numerous Maine hospitals and maternity wards to scale back services or close entirely in recent years, mirroring a broader national struggle.
Jackson: Collins “advanced the Big, Beautiful Bill out of committee.”
This description is inaccurate.
While Collins led the Senate Appropriations Committee, the legislation in question did not undergo a committee vote. Instead, it advanced through the budget reconciliation process, which permits Senate approval via a simple majority.
When the measure came to the floor, Collins supported the initial motion to proceed while signaling she would oppose the package if her concerns were unaddressed. Jackson’s team later clarified that he was referring to that procedural vote rather than a committee markup. Ultimately, Collins voted against the final bill due to her objections over Medicaid reductions.