Collins, Jackson Spar in 1st Maine Senate Debate as Early Voting Enters Day 2
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Collins, Jackson Spar in 1st Maine Senate Debate as Early Voting Enters Day 2
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Summary
Susan Collins and Troy Jackson used their first televised debate Tuesday to sharpen the race’s central attack lines, with Jackson tying the Republican incumbent to Trump and Brett Kavanaugh while Collins defended her independence and Maine record.
Kavanaugh and Trump dominated the exchanges: Jackson asked whether voters should trust Collins to pick another justice, and Collins countered that she had voted against her party more than any other senator and had pushed since April to end the Iran war.
Early voting is already underway, giving the Portland debate added weight for undecided voters picking up absentee ballots, even though 3 more televised debates are scheduled before the Nov. 3 election.
The clash comes in a race Democrats see as a prime pickup opportunity, but one where Collins still has resilience: a New York Times/Siena poll last month showed her ahead by 3 points, though some newer surveys have given Jackson a narrow lead.