By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-maine-voters-feel-about-the-high-stakes-senate-election Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter How Maine voters feel about the high-stakes Senate election Politics Oct 22, 2026 8:26 AM EDT A state of no-nonsense, neighborly people, Maine is a unique place — full of practicality, hardiness and internal warmth. Two days ago, I sat looking at an incredible scene from its exact geographic center: A blaze of fall leaves over the Pleasant River in Brownville Junction. Our small crew spent days crisscrossing and covering the U.S. Senate race. It is one of the most grueling campaigns for both candidates and voters of any I can remember. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. I can honestly tell you, I don't know which way this race goes. But in that calm moment by the river, I started envisioning this guide about this high-stakes race. Here's what I learned. The candidates Republican Sen. Susan Collins reaches out to shake hands with Brownville Fire Chief Shawn Mitchell. Photo by Lisa Desjardins/PBS News Sen. Susan Collins Our time with Sen. Susan Collins was unusual because of what it was not. At the Brownville Fire Department's annual dinner, we watched as the Republican senator entered, smiling and at ease. In the middle of a high-stakes, intense campaign, this was remarkably not a campaign event. It was a small community gathering of a few dozen. The fire chief politely asked us not to record any of it except the senator's remarks. For an hour or so, Collins sat to the side and in the back, saying hello to those near her but not intruding into the crowd. If she was anxious, it did not show. Flyers that support Sen. Susan Collins in the Senate race. She's seeking a sixth term in office. Photo by Sam Weber/PBS News After recognizing several firefighters, the chief presented her with an award for helping bring $2.8 million in federal funding to this community, including to replace this aging fire station. I watched to see how the hard-to-read firefighters interacted with Collins. Inside, they seemed uninterested in her presence. But afterward, outside, they embraced her. Older veterans, moms, groups of younger men — they all asked for photos. This area is MAGA red, voting for Trump three times, and I had wondered if its residents still felt a loyalty to Collins, who openly did not vote for Trump. They do. Troy Jackson Supporters enter the Agora Palace Event Center before the start of an Oct. 11 rally for Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Troy Jackson and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in Lewiston, Maine. Photo by CJ Gunther/Reuters The rally in Portland, Maine, 150 miles south of Brownville, had two headliners: Collins' Democratic opponent Troy Jackson and Massachusetts progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Prior to this, nearly all Jackson supporters I met had something to say about the logger-turned-state-senator's poise -– that "He's becoming a better speaker" or "He's not so polished." (Jackson replaced Graham Platner as the Democrats' candidate just three months ago.) But at that rally, many in the crowd told me something else. "He's gotten better," one said. Multiple people told me "that was his best event yet." In debates, and in a recent interview with CNN, Jackson at times has a defensive-looking or impatient posture, including folded arms. He also drew headlines by telling Collins to "shut up". But rallying with his supporters this weekend, I saw Jackson find a better mix of leaning into his "I'm not polished and that's a good thing" message, along with some clearly honed messages about affordability and President Donald Trump. And being human. After the event, Jackson and his security team quickly walked to his campaign car past the gathered press. (He spoke to them at an earlier event.) We stayed nearby and were the only crew to see him later leave the black SUV to say hello to a small girl who drew him a picture. It was his most personable moment. Troy Jackson, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, poses for a photo at a Portland, Maine, event with a supporter, whose child drew the politician a picture. Photo by Lisa Desjardins A few hours later, at a town hall with Warren, the Kennebunk High School auditorium was packed with roughly 300 supporters. There too, some told me Jackson wasn't their first choice. Warren answered more questions than Jackson did, but as I closely watched, the crowd did get on its feet for him by the end. One other difference I noticed: Jackson had a professional camera team recording him at the rally. That's not surprising. It was a rally, perhaps among the last of the season, and commercials keep flooding Maine. But it was notably different from the private event we saw with Collins.. What Maine voters are saying The state is both fired up by this high-stakes race and exhausted by its avalanche of ads. Some Jackson voters are still mourning Platner's utter collapse. They like that Jackson is a longtime Mainer, but they do not yet seem in love with him. He is running as a progressive, but, as seen in that CNN interview, he has not detailed how he will make good on all of his pledges and bring money back to Maine. When we asked, he pointed to his experience in the Maine statehouse. We also asked how he would overhaul American healthcare in a chamber where you need 60 votes to pass a bill. Jackson said, "obviously in two years there'll be a new president. And a simple majority might be able to do that. Getting rid of the filibuster so that we don't end up having 60 again." What Jackson supporters share is firm opposition to Collins. Campaign signs, some handmade, spotted in southern Maine ahead of November's vote. Photos by Lisa Desjardins/PBS News We noticed some towns in Southern Maine that are dotted with DIY signs against Collins. In Knox County, as we took photos, we ran into someone who was changing "Susan Collins" signs to replace the name "Susan" to read, "Trump Collin$." What about Collins voters? They are divided, though in what proportion it is not clear. Many, like Linda Post in Owl's Head, have personal stories of Collins' help In her case, Collins and her office restored her father's vital heat assistance money. "If we have someone besides her there," Post told us, "Maine will get nothing." Some Collins supporters back Trump. But she is vulnerable in large part because the state, overall, does not. (The state voted against him three times.) Talking with Nick Papin, who voted for Collins and Biden in 2020 but now is voting for Collins' opponent. He also spoke of how he sees Maine. Photo by Sam Weber/PBS News Nick Papin of Kittery split his ticket six years ago, voting for Collins and Biden. He now thinks she has not stood up to Trump enough. "We're in different times," he said. "You need to throw punches, apparently, to be successful." Papin is voting for Jackson. To this, Collins told us, "What I think some people want, which I don't think is effective, is for me to rant and rave." She is focused on her unique position — leading the Appropriations Committee — to get things done for her small state. We found undecided voters like Bill Amabile of Kennebunk struggling. He likes what Collins has done for the state (and for Ukraine) and does not think Jackson could have that same success. But he, too, is not sure that Collins' has been assertive enough against Trump. He wondered about her judgment. He is asking: Is this a vote about what is best for Maine or is this about the country and Trump? "I dislike voting against certain candidates just to vote against them," Amabile told us. "But I'm afraid, like a lot of other people, that it's gotten to that point where we need to maybe change out." "It's a really tough decision for me," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not completely decided on it." A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews
A state of no-nonsense, neighborly people, Maine is a unique place — full of practicality, hardiness and internal warmth. Two days ago, I sat looking at an incredible scene from its exact geographic center: A blaze of fall leaves over the Pleasant River in Brownville Junction. Our small crew spent days crisscrossing and covering the U.S. Senate race. It is one of the most grueling campaigns for both candidates and voters of any I can remember. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. I can honestly tell you, I don't know which way this race goes. But in that calm moment by the river, I started envisioning this guide about this high-stakes race. Here's what I learned. The candidates Republican Sen. Susan Collins reaches out to shake hands with Brownville Fire Chief Shawn Mitchell. Photo by Lisa Desjardins/PBS News Sen. Susan Collins Our time with Sen. Susan Collins was unusual because of what it was not. At the Brownville Fire Department's annual dinner, we watched as the Republican senator entered, smiling and at ease. In the middle of a high-stakes, intense campaign, this was remarkably not a campaign event. It was a small community gathering of a few dozen. The fire chief politely asked us not to record any of it except the senator's remarks. For an hour or so, Collins sat to the side and in the back, saying hello to those near her but not intruding into the crowd. If she was anxious, it did not show. Flyers that support Sen. Susan Collins in the Senate race. She's seeking a sixth term in office. Photo by Sam Weber/PBS News After recognizing several firefighters, the chief presented her with an award for helping bring $2.8 million in federal funding to this community, including to replace this aging fire station. I watched to see how the hard-to-read firefighters interacted with Collins. Inside, they seemed uninterested in her presence. But afterward, outside, they embraced her. Older veterans, moms, groups of younger men — they all asked for photos. This area is MAGA red, voting for Trump three times, and I had wondered if its residents still felt a loyalty to Collins, who openly did not vote for Trump. They do. Troy Jackson Supporters enter the Agora Palace Event Center before the start of an Oct. 11 rally for Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Troy Jackson and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in Lewiston, Maine. Photo by CJ Gunther/Reuters The rally in Portland, Maine, 150 miles south of Brownville, had two headliners: Collins' Democratic opponent Troy Jackson and Massachusetts progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Prior to this, nearly all Jackson supporters I met had something to say about the logger-turned-state-senator's poise -– that "He's becoming a better speaker" or "He's not so polished." (Jackson replaced Graham Platner as the Democrats' candidate just three months ago.) But at that rally, many in the crowd told me something else. "He's gotten better," one said. Multiple people told me "that was his best event yet." In debates, and in a recent interview with CNN, Jackson at times has a defensive-looking or impatient posture, including folded arms. He also drew headlines by telling Collins to "shut up". But rallying with his supporters this weekend, I saw Jackson find a better mix of leaning into his "I'm not polished and that's a good thing" message, along with some clearly honed messages about affordability and President Donald Trump. And being human. After the event, Jackson and his security team quickly walked to his campaign car past the gathered press. (He spoke to them at an earlier event.) We stayed nearby and were the only crew to see him later leave the black SUV to say hello to a small girl who drew him a picture. It was his most personable moment. Troy Jackson, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, poses for a photo at a Portland, Maine, event with a supporter, whose child drew the politician a picture. Photo by Lisa Desjardins A few hours later, at a town hall with Warren, the Kennebunk High School auditorium was packed with roughly 300 supporters. There too, some told me Jackson wasn't their first choice. Warren answered more questions than Jackson did, but as I closely watched, the crowd did get on its feet for him by the end. One other difference I noticed: Jackson had a professional camera team recording him at the rally. That's not surprising. It was a rally, perhaps among the last of the season, and commercials keep flooding Maine. But it was notably different from the private event we saw with Collins.. What Maine voters are saying The state is both fired up by this high-stakes race and exhausted by its avalanche of ads. Some Jackson voters are still mourning Platner's utter collapse. They like that Jackson is a longtime Mainer, but they do not yet seem in love with him. He is running as a progressive, but, as seen in that CNN interview, he has not detailed how he will make good on all of his pledges and bring money back to Maine. When we asked, he pointed to his experience in the Maine statehouse. We also asked how he would overhaul American healthcare in a chamber where you need 60 votes to pass a bill. Jackson said, "obviously in two years there'll be a new president. And a simple majority might be able to do that. Getting rid of the filibuster so that we don't end up having 60 again." What Jackson supporters share is firm opposition to Collins. Campaign signs, some handmade, spotted in southern Maine ahead of November's vote. Photos by Lisa Desjardins/PBS News We noticed some towns in Southern Maine that are dotted with DIY signs against Collins. In Knox County, as we took photos, we ran into someone who was changing "Susan Collins" signs to replace the name "Susan" to read, "Trump Collin$." What about Collins voters? They are divided, though in what proportion it is not clear. Many, like Linda Post in Owl's Head, have personal stories of Collins' help In her case, Collins and her office restored her father's vital heat assistance money. "If we have someone besides her there," Post told us, "Maine will get nothing." Some Collins supporters back Trump. But she is vulnerable in large part because the state, overall, does not. (The state voted against him three times.) Talking with Nick Papin, who voted for Collins and Biden in 2020 but now is voting for Collins' opponent. He also spoke of how he sees Maine. Photo by Sam Weber/PBS News Nick Papin of Kittery split his ticket six years ago, voting for Collins and Biden. He now thinks she has not stood up to Trump enough. "We're in different times," he said. "You need to throw punches, apparently, to be successful." Papin is voting for Jackson. To this, Collins told us, "What I think some people want, which I don't think is effective, is for me to rant and rave." She is focused on her unique position — leading the Appropriations Committee — to get things done for her small state. We found undecided voters like Bill Amabile of Kennebunk struggling. He likes what Collins has done for the state (and for Ukraine) and does not think Jackson could have that same success. But he, too, is not sure that Collins' has been assertive enough against Trump. He wondered about her judgment. He is asking: Is this a vote about what is best for Maine or is this about the country and Trump? "I dislike voting against certain candidates just to vote against them," Amabile told us. "But I'm afraid, like a lot of other people, that it's gotten to that point where we need to maybe change out." "It's a really tough decision for me," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not completely decided on it." A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now