Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson are awaiting Maine election results in the U.S. Senate race. Because Maine uses ranked choice voting and write-in candidates could keep either from reaching 50%, the winner could take days or longer to be known.
Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson are awaiting Maine election results. Collins, a Republican, is seeking a sixth term on Tuesday against Jackson. Collins, 73, was first elected in 1996 and is the sole remaining Republican lawmaker in Congress from New England.
Ranked count could delay the outcome
Maine uses ranked choice voting, so it could take several days or longer to determine a winner. Collins and Jackson are the only candidates on the ballot, but write-in candidates could keep either from reaching 50%. That would trigger a ranked count.
How Jackson became the nominee
Graham Platner won the Democratic nomination over Gov. Janet Mills, whom party leaders in Washington had initially backed. Platner withdrew in July after facing an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied. He had overcome controversies, including a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol, to win the nomination. Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, became the Democratic nominee in July. He was chosen at an emergency convention, which gave him roughly 100 days to campaign against Collins.
Campaign and political backdrop
Jackson has repeatedly criticized Collins for voting to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Collins, who supports abortion rights, has said she does not regret her vote. Collins said during a debate that she is not Trump's favorite senator. Her campaign criticized Jackson for telling her to be quiet during a debate.
Maine has supported Democratic presidential candidates since 1992, and Collins is seeking reelection at a time when President Donald Trump faces low approval ratings in the state. Democrats see the race as a top opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat.
