Democrat Troy Jackson has won the US Senate race in Maine, defeating five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 midterms. Collins, who had served in the Senate since 1997, conceded the race on Tuesday.
Jackson, a 58-year-old fifth-generation logger and former president of the state Senate, had just over 100 days to campaign after replacing Graham Platner as the party's nominee in July. The race was closely fought and often rancorous, characterized by mutual accusations of corruption and clashes over living costs in the predominantly rural state.
The result is a crucial victory for Democrats in their push to retake and expand their Senate majority, marking the party's seventh flipped seat. Collins, who was seeking her sixth term and had held the seat for nearly three decades, was swept away in a blue wave.