Collins vs. Jackson: Maine Senate Race Centers on Aroostook
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will face Democrat Troy Jackson in the U.S. Senate election in Maine on Nov. 3, 2026. Both are from Aroostook County. Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, described the race as a toss-up, meaning either candidate could win. Ballotpedia
Collins is from Caribou. Jackson was born in Fort Kent, about 40 miles north of Caribou. U.S. Route 1 runs through both hometowns. Aroostook is the northernmost county in the contiguous United States. NPR
NPR reported Oct. 1, 2026, from voters along Route 1 in Aroostook County. The road links small cities and towns where household budgets depend on heating oil, gasoline prices and cross-border trade.
Collins has won five Senate races. In each win, she carried Aroostook by double-digit margins.
Jackson entered the race late. He joined after the original Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, dropped out. Platner dropped out following allegations of rape, which he denies.
Aroostook voters supported Barack Obama in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016.
Voters along Route 1 said they worry about heating oil, gas prices and Canadian tariffs. Maine AFL-CIO Executive Director Matt Schlobohm said county residents "drive a lot" and that the "price of gas is through the roof." Aroostook County Republican Committee chair Christopher Lydon is among the local party voices in the county.
Canada set retaliatory tariffs, which are import taxes charged in response to U.S. tariffs, ranging from 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth of American imports, according to September reporting. The Guardian
The White House later lifted tariffs on cement and road salt imported from Canada. Maine relies on Canada for cement and road salt imports. Collins said the decision was a victory for Maine. CBC
The broader context here is base geography and timing. Collins starts with five statewide wins and a record of double-digit margins in Aroostook. Jackson starts with local roots and labor ties, a kind of home-field edge, but with less time to build name recognition and fundraising after a late entry. Both parties have a persuasion target and a turnout target in the same place. For operatives, the question is whether ticket-splitting, voting for different parties in different races, in a northern border county can survive heavy national Senate spending.
The broader picture for the final weeks is costs. Heating oil and gasoline hit northern rural voters harder because of long driving distances and winter heating demand. Cement and road salt matter for town budgets and construction schedules. A candidate who can tie Washington action to those line items could have an edge with late-deciding voters. Election Day is Nov. 3. Early results from Aroostook could show whether Collins holds her home-county margin or whether Jackson cuts into it enough to change the statewide math.
