In their first debate in the closely watched race for Senate in Maine, incumbent Sen. Susan Collins drew on her seniority in Congress and her role as chair of the powerful appropriations committee to counter Democrat Troy Jackson, who portrayed her as ineffective in pushing back against President Donald Trump’s agenda.<\/p>\n
“As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve been able to bring home federal dollars to help ease the burden on our taxpayers. In the past five years, I’ve secured $1.5 billion for 672 projects … these are investments in our communities,” Collins said during the debate Tuesday.<\/p>\n
As Trump’s trade war with Canada continues, Collins referenced her behind-the-scenes work to minimize the pain for Maine, whose economy is intertwined with Canada, including getting certain products removed from the tariff list.<\/p>\n
![\"PHOTO:](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/c1ace91c-d9f2-4158-a4a5-0d1971230776\/AP26278771058382_1791342570056_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"chair")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>This combination of photos shows Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington, left, and her challenger for the Maine’s U.S. Senate seat, Democratic candidate Troy Jackson on July 16, 2026, in Portland, Maine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib, Robert F. Bukaty<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “I have been the most outspoken opponent of the tariffs with Canada. Canada is not China. It is our neighbor, our friend, our closest ally, and our biggest trading partner. So, I have been strongly voting against the tariffs with Canada, but I’ve also been working behind the scenes,” Collins said. “I was successful in getting concrete, pulp and road salt removed from the tariff list,” Collins said.<\/p>\n Jackson, though, said what Collins has done is not enough, arguing Trump’s policies are driving up the cost of goods and living and that “she won’t talk back against Donald Trump,”<\/p>\n “I didn’t mock the fact that she got road salt back. I mocked the fact that what about everything else? We can’t eat road salt,” Jackson said.<\/p>\n Jackson referenced Collins voting for Trump’s signature legislation, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” out of committee, saying it’s “crucifying Maine.”<\/p>\n Sen. Susan Collins talks with reporters between votes at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Collins voted against the final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill because of the cuts to the Medicaid program, but said she voted to send it out of committee because of the billions of dollars to fund rural health care.<\/p>\n Jackson doubled down, though, on the fact that Collins voted the bill out of committee.<\/p>\n “Senator Collins is like an arsonist who helped set the fire, and then she wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out. I mean, she advanced the bill out of committee. You just heard her say it … If she’d have stopped it, she wouldn’t be able to do the other things, meaning that she could have stopped it.”<\/p>\n Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson speaks at a town hall on Sept. 13, 2026, in Biddeford, Maine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Joseph Prezioso\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On the Iran war, Collins mentioned her past votes to end the war in Iran and how the war has led to a rise in gas and diesel prices.<\/p>\n “I think that it is not well thought out. It has caused adverse circumstances in terms of the cost of global oil,” Collins said.<\/p>\n As Trump has mentioned possibly campaigning in Maine ahead of the November election, Collins was asked whether she would campaign with him, and she said she believes he won’t come to the state.<\/p>\n “I don’t think that President Trump is going to come to Maine,” she replied. “He’s talking about going to a lot of different states. I’ve heard nothing from his office, and I’m not exactly his favorite senator.”<\/p>\n Jackson attacked Collins heavily over her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, even referencing her vote in his opening remarks during tonight’s debate, which falls on the anniversary of her vote for the justice.<\/p>\n “[Brett Kavanaugh] helped overturn Roe v. Wade, and today she says she has no regrets,” Jackson said. “And I would, you know, wonder for everyone, including myself, would you trust her to pick the next Supreme Court of Justice?”<\/p>\n Sen. Susan Collins attends a Senate confirmation hearing for Dr. Heidi Overton on Sept. 24, 2026, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tasos Katopodis\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n During the portion of the debate where the candidates could ask each other questions, Jackson asked Collins if she would admit she was wrong to vote to confirm Kavanaugh.<\/p>\n Collins said she does not agree with Kavanaugh’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and referenced her support of Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson. When the moderator asked whether she felt Kavanaugh lied to her, Collins said Kavanaugh should not have asserted that Roe v. Wade was settled law.<\/p>\n “I do not feel that he lied, but I think that he should not have said it was settled law because, to me, that meant that it would not be overturned. But to be fair, you cannot ask a nominee how he might vote on some hypothetical future case.”<\/p>\n Collins, who has been a long supporter of abortion rights, called out Jackson for previously being against abortion access early on in his political career.<\/p>\n “So, I would point out that there’s only one of us on this stage who has always been pro-choice, and that’s me,” Collins said.<\/p>\n On immigration, Jackson referenced the fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford, Maine, earlier this year and called for ICE to be disbanded and for funding to be redirected to Customs and Border Protection.<\/p>\n Collins pushed back on abolishing ICE, but said the agency needs “serious reform.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Congress\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/89f801dd-f2b4-48d7-bd69-74bf924a2807\/susan-collins-gty-jt-261006_1791321229080_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Congress\\"")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>![\"Democratic](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e61de6e6-d2e5-421e-9eeb-da8b6a162985\/troy-jackson-gty-jt-260923_1790178028595_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=375 "\\"Democratic")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>![\"insurance](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4fdd4c36-22eb-445e-b07f-b08fc83be641\/susan-collins-01-gty-jt-261006_1791321371086_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"insurance")
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