A recent television commercial targets the U.S. Senate race in Maine, claiming that Democratic candidate Troy Jackson and Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins hold sharply divergent views on low-income healthcare programs.
Sponsored by the Democratic-aligned super PAC WinSenate, the September 4 ad asserts: “Troy Jackson expanded Medicaid health coverage in Maine. Susan Collins was the deciding vote for Trump’s Medicaid cuts kicking tens of thousands of Mainers off health coverage so they could give billionaires a tax break.”
This raises the question: Did Jackson actually expand Medicaid, and did Collins vote to slash it?
While serving in the Maine Legislature, Jackson was a vocal champion of expanding the state’s Medicaid program, known as MaineCare. However, the commercial exaggerates his direct impact in finally securing that expansion. Although he backed multiple legislative pushes, Republican Governor Paul LePage vetoed them all. The policy only took effect after grassroots voters passed a referendum and Democratic Governor Janet Mills assumed office.
Furthermore, the advertisement misrepresents Collins’ legislative voting history regarding President Donald Trump’s major tax and spending package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Maine Democrats, Including Jackson, Campaigned for Medicaid Growth
The Affordable Care Act of 2009 opened the door for states to broaden their Medicaid eligibility standards beginning in 2014, an option that most states ultimately embraced.
When questioned about the ad’s claims, representatives for Jackson and the super PAC pointed to his long-standing record of sponsoring, voting for, and advocating on behalf of expansion bills over the years.
During a 2013 debate, Jackson shared a personal tragedy, noting that two of his friends had died from medical conditions similar to his own. While Jackson had state-provided health coverage, his friends did not, leading him to call it an “embarrassment that I’m alive and they didn’t have that opportunity.” He later reiterated that sentiment in 2014, declaring healthcare a fundamental right.
Governor LePage repeatedly rejected these efforts, issuing five separate vetoes on expansion measures.
Frustrated by the legislative gridlock, advocacy groups shifted tactics and successfully petitioned to place the issue on the ballot. Jackson campaigned heavily for the initiative, which Maine voters approved in 2017.
Even after the ballot measure passed, LePage continued to stall, vetoing funding bills and refusing to enact the program despite court orders. The stalemate ended in January 2019 when newly elected Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order to carry out the voters’ mandate.
Celebrating the move, Jackson—then serving as Senate President—praised the decision as a massive victory for state wellness, addiction treatment, and rural hospitals. State data shows that while expansion has historically served over 230,000 individuals, active enrollment sat at roughly 85,000 as of June 2026.
Collins Has a History of Supporting Medicaid Protections
Previous claims asserting that Collins aligned with Trump on Medicaid reductions have consistently been rated False.
The WinSenate ad borrows the phrase “deciding vote” from a July 2025 WABI-TV report. However, that local news segment clarified that while Collins provided a crucial vote to advance the legislation initially, she ultimately voted against final passage.
In June 2025, Collins voted in favor of a procedural motion to bring the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to the floor, warning at the time that she would oppose the final package unless significant revisions were made. She subsequently supported multiple amendments—including Democratic proposals—designed to safeguard Medicaid. When those protections failed to pass, she followed through on her warning and voted against the overarching bill.
In an official statement, Collins explained that while she supported tax relief measures, the negative ramifications for low-income families and rural healthcare facilities forced her to oppose the legislation.
Had Collins chosen to oppose the initial procedural vote, Senate Republican leadership had Vice President JD Vance available to break a potential tie.
While the final legislation offered broad tax relief, critics noted that wealthier taxpayers disproportionately benefited, and the bill enacted unprecedented rollbacks to federal safety net programs, including Medicaid.
Our Assessment
The WinSenate commercial claims that Troy Jackson expanded Medicaid in Maine while Susan Collins served as the deciding vote for cuts to the program.
While Jackson consistently championed expansion during his time as a state lawmaker and supported the 2017 ballot initiative, the ad inflates his personal role. His legislative efforts were repeatedly blocked by Governor LePage, and it was Governor Mills who ultimately operationalized the voter-approved expansion.
Conversely, the advertisement misrepresents Collins’ voting record. Although she voted to advance the broader budgetary package through a procedural hurdle, she did so with explicit warnings, and ultimately voted against the final bill precisely because of its impact on Medicaid.
We rate this claim **Mostly False**.
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