# Maine super PAC's attack ad targets wrong Portland

> A pro-Susan Collins group spent $25,000 on an ad attacking Troy Jackson, but showed it to Oregon voters instead of Maine voters.
- Title: Maine super PAC's attack ad targets wrong Portland | Shortify
- Summary: A pro-Susan Collins group spent $25,000 on an ad attacking Troy Jackson, but showed it to Oregon voters instead of Maine voters. A super PAC supporting Susan…
- Keywords: susan collins, troy jackson, maine senate race, defending main street, super pac, political advertising, portland oregon, portland maine, Maine, super, PAC's, attack
- Source: Fastcompany — https://fastcompany.com/91622456/maine-senate-race-pro-susan-collins-super-pac-targets-wrong-portland
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: susan collins, troy jackson, maine senate race, defending main street, super pac, political advertising, portland oregon, portland maine
## Attack ad targets wrong city
A super PAC supporting Susan Collins ran an attack ad against Troy Jackson, her Democratic opponent in the Maine Senate race, but showed it to voters in Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine.
## The ad and its message
The Defending Main Street super PAC funded the thirty-second ad titled "Too Many Taxes", which focuses on taxes and the cost-of-living crisis, both central to Collins and Jackson's campaigns.
## The cost and reach
The ad reportedly cost Defending Main Street around twenty five thousand dollars. Shown for the first time on October eight, it racked up over one point two million views.
## Wrong audience entirely
The problem: those one point two million views came from Oregon viewers, not Maine voters. The ad's targeting appeared to have selected zip codes from Oregon instead of Maine.
## Oregon users notice the pattern
One Oregon user said on X: "I've gotten five anti-Troy Jackson ads in the last twenty four hours. I choose to believe they mixed up Portlands." Others reported similar experiences.

> I've gotten 5 anti-Troy Jackson ads in the last 24 hours. I choose to believe they mixed up Portlands.
## Multiple complaints from Oregon
Many Oregon-based social media users shared their own experiences. One said "I've gotten them too. lol." Another added "I've gotten so many this week."
## Evidence of the mistake
Some social media users shared screenshots of the ad's Google Ads Transparency Center page, a public repository of ads served on Google, which showed Oregon zip codes as the selected region.
## The election context
The Maine Senate race is scheduled for November. Susan Collins is the incumbent Republican senator. Troy Jackson is the Democratic candidate challenging her.
## Campaign priorities
Both Collins and Jackson have made taxes and the cost-of-living crisis central to their campaigns leading up to the November election.
## Impact of the blunder
Despite the ad's twenty five thousand dollar budget, the message reached the wrong audience entirely. The mistake meant the super PAC's spending had minimal effect on the actual Maine race.
## Key takeaway

A super PAC supporting Susan Collins spent $25,000 on an attack ad against Democratic candidate Troy Jackson but mistakenly targeted Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine, reaching over 1.2 million Oregon viewers.