Jackson, Collins separated by 2 points in Maine Senate race polling

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is locked in a tight race against her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, according to a new survey.

The Marist University poll , released one week before the midterms, found the incumbent trailing Jackson by 2 percentage points among likely voters in the state — a lead that falls within the survey’s margin of error.

Other recent polling has supported “toss-up” ratings for the race from election handicappers, like the Cook Political Report .

Another survey, released last week by Fox News, showed the two candidates tied in their support from likely voters in the state, while a Suffolk University poll conducted earlier this month similarly found the Democrat with a 2-point advantage.

Collins is running for a sixth term in Congress. If she is successful in the general election, she will become the longest-serving senator in the state’s history. Despite Jackson’s lead in the Marist poll, 58 percent of respondents said they believe the Republican will win.

Jackson, a logger and former state senator, also recently received the support of more than 60 former diplomats and top foreign affairs experts in his effort to oust the incumbent. The Democrat struggled to gain name recognition after replacing former Democratic nominee Graham Platner in the race.

The pollster also asked respondents to weigh in on the candidates in the state’s gubernatorial contest to replace Gov. Janet Mills (D). GOP nominee Bobby Charles and Democratic nominee Hannah Pingree were tied at 44 percent support in the survey among likely voters. Roughly 6 percent of respondents also backed the independent candidate in the race, Maine Sen. Rick Bennett.

Additionally, 58 percent of likely Maine voters disapproved of President Trump’s handling of his job as president. Forty-two percent of likely voters said Trump would not be a factor in how they cast their ballot this election, while 41 percent said their vote will be cast “against the president.”

The Marist University poll was conducted among 1,449 Maine registered voters from Oct. 22-25. It has a margin of error of 6.6 percentage points.