Maine Senate race turns on women voters as Collins faces Jackson
Why it matters: The contest is one of a few races that could decide Senate control, with both parties spending heavily after Democrats replaced their nominee.
Maine’s U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson is emerging as one of the country’s most closely watched midterm contests, with women voters seen as a decisive bloc. Jackson, a former state senator and logger from Allagash, became the Democratic nominee after Graham Platner left the race last month following a sexual assault allegation he denied. Collins, a five-term senator from Aroostook County, is framing Jackson as too liberal for the state, while Democrats argue her vote helped clear the way for the Supreme Court to end nationwide abortion rights. AdImpact data cited by NPR shows Republicans have already spent millions on ads in the race.