A Fox News statewide poll released on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, indicates that Democratic challenger Troy Jackson leads Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins by two points in the Maine Senate race. Collins, who has served Maine since 1997 and won her fifth term in 2020 by nearly 9 percentage points, faces growing voter concern over her alignment with former President Donald Trump.

The survey found that 55% of Maine voters worry Collins' voting record aligns too closely with Trump, while 43% are concerned about Jackson's connections to the Democratic Socialist movement. Among independents, concerns about Collins' ties to Trump outpace worries about Jackson by a 14-point margin.

Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from Allagash and former president of the Maine Senate, replaced Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee in July after Platner withdrew amid an assault allegation. Jackson's candidacy has shifted the race to be more of a referendum on Collins, with 61% of Jackson's supporters saying their vote is mainly against Collins, compared to 48% when Platner was the opponent. However, only 36% of voters say they are voting for Jackson, down from Platner's 50%.

Jackson maintains steady support among women, college-educated voters, and suburban residents, while gaining 12 points among voters under age 45 compared to Platner's June numbers.

The poll was conducted August 6-10, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (Democratic) and Shaw & Company Research (Republican). It includes interviews with 1,000 registered Maine voters selected randomly from a statewide voter file. Respondents participated via live interviews on landlines (128) and cellphones (626), or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (246).

One analyst noted, "Replacing Platner with Jackson has allowed two other factors to assert themselves — opposition to President Trump and a desire for change." Another added, "The race remains close and I’d never count Collins out, but you have to give a slight edge to the Democrats here."

Sources