Maine Senate debate heats up

Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson faced off in an hour-long debate hosted by WMTW-TV, sparring over abortion, tariffs, Iran and Trump alignment.

Jackson: Collins put Kavanaugh on court

Jackson accused Collins of voting to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, saying she put someone on the Supreme Court who took away Roe v. Wade.

“put people like Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court that took away Roe v. Wade”

Collins' Kavanaugh vote was misleading

Collins voted for Kavanaugh but also voted to confirm Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, who ruled to uphold Roe. Her vote was a tie-breaker, but Mike Pence would have broken a tie for Trump anyway.

Collins said Kavanaugh promised protection

In a forty-three-minute floor speech in twenty eighteen, Collins said Kavanaugh told her Roe v. Wade's precedent was rooted in the Constitution and she wanted to protect abortion rights.

Supreme Court reversed Roe in twenty twenty-two

The Supreme Court ruled five to four in twenty twenty-two to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after fifteen weeks, reversing Roe v. Wade and ending nearly fifty years of federally protected access.

Collins: Jackson was anti-choice

Collins said Jackson was very anti-choice on abortion policy from the year two thousand until he ran for the House seat in twenty thirteen to twenty fourteen. This claim is accurate.

“from the year 2000 until he ran for the House seat in 2013-2014, was very anti-choice”

Jackson received perfect anti-abortion scores

In twenty oh three and twenty ten, Jackson received perfect voting scores from Maine Right to Life. In twenty eleven, he voted for a bill creating criminal penalties for actions against an unborn child.

Jackson now supports abortion rights

Over the past decade, Jackson has aligned with Democrats on abortion. He received one hundred percent ratings from Planned Parenthood and in twenty twenty-three voted to ensure state abortion access after Roe reversed.

Collins' electric rates claim exaggerated

Collins said Maine's electric rates became fourth highest in the nation under Jackson's leadership as Senate president from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty-four. Maine actually ranked eighth both years.

“It's under Troy's leadership that electric rates in Maine became the fourth highest in the nation”

Maine rates surged forty-six percent

Though Maine's ranking stayed eighth, prices surged from thirteen point four four cents per kilowatt-hour to nineteen point six six cents per kilowatt-hour, a forty-six percent increase over six years.

Rising gas prices, not policy, drove bills

Maine's public advocate said no single cause explains the increase.Rising New England natural gas prices were the largest reason, followed by storm damage repair costs.The renewable energy program added about nine dollars to bills.

Jackson's Iran war profit claim overstated

Jackson said Collins and her husband make money off the Iran war. Collins' husband owns stock in Boeing and R T X worth between fifteen thousand and fifty thousand dollars each, a small fraction of…

“Sen. Collins and her husband are making money off of this war”

Collins' Trump voting record close to ninety-six

Jackson claimed Collins votes with Trump ninety-six percent of the time. A C Q Roll Call analysis found she voted with Trump's position ninety-two percent of the time in his second term and ninety percent…

“Sen. Collins is voting with Donald Trump 96% of the time”

Collins counters with different calculation

Collins replied that if you look at all votes cast, she voted with the administration about seventy-two percent of the time.

“If you look at all of the votes that were cast, I have voted with the administration about 72% of the time”

Collins voted against Trump on key issues

Collins voted against Trump on high-profile measures including blocking a nearly one point eight billion dollar weaponization fund in twenty twenty-six and voting for removal of U.S. armed forces from Iran hostilities.