Fifth-generation logger Troy Jackson has pulled off a major upset in Maine, defeating incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and giving the Democratic Party a major boost in the battle for the U.S. Senate, the Fox News Decision Desk projects.
Jackson’s victory will end Collins nearly three-decade career in the Senate.
“Maine, I owe you everything,” Jackson wrote on X. “Im ready to get to work for Mainers in the U.S. Senate, and I promise you this: Ill never forget where I came from or who Im fighting for.”
The win gives Democrats a major pickup in one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections. The Maine contest was viewed as a critical test of whether Democrats could defeat a Republican incumbent in a state that has shifted increasingly toward the party in recent presidential elections.
The result also could have major implications for control of the Senate.
SCHUMER WARNS OF REPUBLICAN ADVANTAGE THAT COULD CHANGE THE BATTLE FOR SENATE CONTROL
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Maine in the United States Senate. I’m proud of all I have been able to accomplish for our state and for our country in the past 30 years,” Collins wrote in conceding the race to her Democrat challenger.
“I called Troy Jackson tonight to congratulate him and to assure him that my staff and I will work to ensure a smooth transition.”
Jackson previously served as president of the Maine Senate and represented parts of Aroostook County in the state Legislature. He campaigned as a working-class Democrat and labor advocate who would challenge both Washingtons political establishment and wealthy interests after he replaced disgraced Senate nominee Graham Platner on the ballot.
Platner dropped out of the race in July amid allegations of sexual assault, which prompted a vote within the Maine Democratic Party to install Jackson.
Jackson’s campaign was nearly knocked off its tracks early on when it was revealed his longtime partner and mother of his two children is also his second cousin â the two share great-grandparents, according to reports. But that scandal wasn’t enough to stop him from toppling the political institution that is Senator Collins.Â
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Collins, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, was seeking a sixth term. She is Maines longest-serving member of Congress and chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, a position that gave her significant influence over federal spending and funding for Maine projects.
Collins, one of the more moderate Republicans in the Senate, built her latest reelection campaign around her reputation for independence and bipartisan dealmaking. She highlighted her work on infrastructure, veterans issues, rural communities and federal assistance for Maine residents while arguing that her seniority and committee position gave the state an advantage in Washington.
The race was shaped by Collins complicated relationship with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Democrats criticized Collins over her votes for Trump-backed policies and her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, arguing that her reputation as a moderate no longer matched her voting record.
Collins countered by pointing to the times
