# The two issues that finally brought down Susan Collins

> Maine's longtime Republican senator lost her seat to Democrat Troy Jackson, undone by Trump's shadow and two issues voters cared about most.
- Title: The two issues that finally brought down Susan Collins · Vox
- Summary: Maine's longtime Republican senator lost her seat to Democrat Troy Jackson, undone by Trump's shadow and two issues voters cared about most. Susan Collins…
- Keywords: susan collins, troy jackson, maine senate, 2026 midterms, abortion rights, healthcare costs, medicaid, donald trump, Vox
- Source: Vox — https://vox.com/politics/508884/susan-collins-election-senate-midterms-2026-politics
- Author: Rachel Cohen Booth
- Published: 2026-11-04T05:43:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: susan collins, troy jackson, maine senate, 2026 midterms, abortion rights, healthcare costs, medicaid, donald trump, news, culture
## Collins loses Maine Senate seat
Republican Sen. Susan Collins conceded her long-held Maine seat to Democratic challenger Troy Jackson just after midnight on Tuesday, November 4, 2026.
## A 30-year political survivor
Collins had served for nearly 30 years and earned a reputation as a political unicorn by winning in her increasingly blue state through bringing home federal funds and bucking her party.
## Trump's shadow over Maine
Collins was the only Republican senator up for reelection in a state Trump lost in 2024.
## Voters saw her as too aligned with Trump
A Fox News poll from August found that more than half of Mainers felt Collins voted with Trump too often, despite her notable breaks with him on January 6 and Canadian tariffs.
## Rising costs became her weakness
In the Marist poll, 46 percent of likely Maine voters said their family finances had gotten worse over the past year.
## Abortion rights became central
Abortion was the second biggest focus of campaign ads in Maine after Trump and healthcare.
## Kavanaugh vote haunted Collins
This was the first time Collins would face voters since the overturning of Roe v.Wade.

> she did not regret it
## Healthcare costs and Medicaid cuts
Republicans faced backlash for voting last year to gut Medicaid by roughly one trillion dollars over the next decade.Collins voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but helped it reach the Senate floor.
## Jackson's closing argument on healthcare
In their October debate, Jackson said Collins was like an arsonist who helped set the fire and then wanted credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out, referring to her Medicaid responsibility.

> Senator Collins is like an arsonist who helped set the fire, and then she wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put it out
## Healthcare costs rising across the board
Employer healthcare plans are expected to rise next year by more than 8 percent. A KFF annual employer survey found the average American worker is paying more than 600 dollars more toward a family plan…
## Key takeaway

Susan Collins lost her Maine Senate seat to Democrat Troy Jackson after nearly 30 years, as voters rejected her record on abortion and healthcare costs.