Jackson holds edge over Collins in Maine Senate race: Poll

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson is narrowly leading Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the race for her seat, according to a new survey.

In the AARP poll, 50 percent of respondents said they were “definitely,” “probably” or leaning toward casting their ballot for Jackson if the election occurred that day, and 47 percent said the same of Collins. One percent said they would choose a different candidate, and 3 percent were not sure or undecided.

The poll had a margin of error of 3.13 percentage points.

The AARP poll comes amid rocky political territory for Republicans with the midterms about a month out. Challenges facing the GOP include President Trump’s sliding approval rating, the unpopular war in Iran, which has lasted for more than half the year, and concerns about the economy.

Jackson, a former Maine state Senate president, formally clinched the Democratic nomination in July to challenge Collins in the general election. Democrats in Maine mostly came together around Jackson before a convention to replace former candidate Graham Platner, whose campaign was weighed down by multiple scandals.

The Senate race in Maine is considered a “toss up” by the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report, and former Vice President Kamala Harris won the state in the 2024 presidential election.

The AARP poll also found Democratic candidate Hannah Pingree leading in the governor’s race in Maine. Fifty-two percent of respondents supported her, while 39 percent backed her Republican opponent, Robert Charles, and 6 percent backed Independent Rick Bennett.

The AARP poll took place from Sept. 20-22 and featured 982 likely voters in Maine.