Collins touts Biden voting record and slams Canada tariffs in testy first Maine Senate debate

Susan Collins walked onto a Maine debate stage Tuesday night and did something almost no Republican senator would dare: she boasted about voting with a Democratic president more than 90% of the time. It was a measure of how unusual her political position is — and how much is riding on this race.

The five-term Republican senator faced Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in their first televised debate, broadcast on WGME-TV, in one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country. Polls show the two running neck and neck, and a Collins loss would significantly open Democrats' path to a Senate majority.

Collins, 73, who has held her seat since 1996, leaned hard into her identity as a moderate outlier. She told viewers she votes against her own party more than any other senator, that she opposed Trump's signature legislative accomplishment, that she has voted nine times to end the war with Iran, and that she is the most outspoken Republican opponent of tariffs on Canada.

I have been the most outspoken opponent of the tariffs on Canada. Canada is not China. It's our neighbor and our friends.— Susan Collins, Republican Senator for Maine

Jackson, 58, a former state Senate president from the same largely rural northern Maine county as Collins, had a simpler message: Collins votes with Trump 96% of the time, and her occasional breaks with the president are too little, too late. He named Trump roughly 20 times over the hour-long debate, according to NBC News.

Tonight is about who you stand with when it matters. Eight years ago today, Maine women went to DC and begged Senator Collins not to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, but she did it anyways. He helped overturn Roe v Wade, and today she says she has no regrets. Would you trust her to pick the next supreme court justice?— Troy Jackson, Democratic Senate candidate

Tuesday's debate fell on the anniversary of Kavanaugh's 2018 Senate confirmation vote, a fact Jackson made sure no one missed. Collins pushed back, noting she has voted to confirm justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — all nominated by Democratic presidents — and turned the abortion argument around on her opponent.

There's only one of us on this stage who has always been pro-choice, and that's me.— Susan Collins, Republican Senator for Maine

Jackson did not engage with the barb in the moment, but said in his closing statement that he pushed for progressive abortion policies in the Maine Legislature. His spokesperson told NBC News earlier Tuesday that Jackson would oppose any Trump Supreme Court nominee in the president's final two years should a vacancy arise.

The sharpest exchange of the night came over Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which included roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. Collins voted against the bill at final passage — a vote she used to argue she has 'never voted' to cut Medicaid. But Jackson hammered her for voting yes on an earlier procedural motion to advance the legislation, arguing she could have stopped it entirely.

Senator Collins is like an arsonist who helped set the fire, and she wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out. She could have stopped it.— Troy Jackson, Democratic Senate candidate

Collins said her procedural vote allowed her to negotiate a $50 billion rural healthcare fund into the process, and accused Jackson of misrepresenting the facts.

A pointed moment came when moderator Gregg Lagerquist raised Trump's suggestion that he might campaign in Maine before the election. Collins deflected twice, saying only that she did not expect him to visit and that she is 'not exactly his favorite senator.' The answer drew a visible grin from Jackson. Trump has previously said Collins is 'not my favorite person' but has endorsed her for re-election; Vice President JD Vance has already traveled to Maine to back her.

Collins's central closing argument was seniority: as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she said she has delivered $1.5 billion in federal funds to Maine across 672 projects in the last five years, citing communities from Madawaska to Kittery. She argued that effectiveness in the Senate requires 'knowledge, experience, seniority and relationships' — and questioned whether Jackson, who would enter as the chamber's most junior senator, could deliver anything comparable.

If you can't find one person in your own party to vote for your bills when you were the Senate president in Maine … how do you think you're going to get things done in a closely divided Senate as the most junior senator?— Susan Collins, Republican Senator for Maine

Jackson rejected the framing, saying Collins 'doesn't understand the legislative process' and that having 'one or two people vote for a bill that's not going to make it' only gums up the system. His closing line cut to the core of his campaign's argument.

Tonight, Sen. Collins has told us how powerful she is. But power means nothing if you won't use it when the people may need it.— Troy Jackson, Democratic Senate candidate

The two also clashed over an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Maine man during a traffic stop earlier this year. Both called the incident horrific, but diverged sharply on the response: Jackson called for ICE to be disbanded, while Collins said the agency needs 'serious reforms' but must continue to exist. Collins said she supported increased funding for body-worn cameras and officer training, and that she joined the Maine congressional delegation in demanding answers from the Trump administration.

Jackson entered the race under unusual circumstances. He replaced Graham Platner, who had won the Democratic primary but withdrew in July after facing sexual assault allegations he denied, leaving the party scrambling to field a new candidate. Jackson had previously run for governor, losing in the Democratic gubernatorial primary before being swapped in as the Senate candidate. Collins is the only Republican senator currently representing a state Trump lost in 2024. Maine has voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1992 and has not backed a Republican presidential candidate statewide since the 1980s.

Why it matters — Maine's Senate race is one of the most competitive in the country and could determine which party controls the Senate — making this debate a preview of the central argument voters will weigh: whether Collins's independence is real or a brand.

Sources differ on Collins's alignment with Trump's voting record: 96% of the time, per a study Jackson cited (nbcnews.com) vs Collins questioned the methodology of the study (nbcnews.com)

Sources differ on Collins's vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Jackson: Collins voted to advance the bill and should have blocked it entirely (cbsnews.com) vs Collins: She voted against final passage and used the process to secure a $50 billion rural healthcare fund (nbcnews.com)

Reported by theguardian.com, thehill.com, nbcnews.com, cbsnews.com, pbs.org, washingtonpost.com, usatoday.com