Susan Collins forced onto defense in Maine Senate debate

PORTLAND, Maine—In the first of three scheduled debates Tuesday night, Oct. 6, Susan Collins had an unexpectedly hard time fending off blame directed at her by Democratic opponent Troy Jackson for helping advance Brett Kavanaugh, an abortion rights opponent to the Supreme Court, for failure to resist President Trump’s anti-Canada tariffs, and for doing almost nothing to stop ICE raids on the state’s towns and cities. 

ICE agents fatally shot Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in the back in Maine this past July.

“You don’t claim you are fighting Trump policies when you vote for funding at least three separate times for an agency that is murdering people across the country,” Jackson declared. Collins said she is not President Trump’s favorite senator and that she has voted against Trump’s agenda on some occasions. Jackson shot back, “You have supported his agenda 96 percent of the time.”

On the Kavanaugh vote, Collins cast in favor of seating him on the Supreme Court. Jackson said that the women of America have Collins to thank for helping to pave the way for the removal of some of their most basic rights, including the right to control their own bodies.

It appeared Collins hoped that, since Jackson has little experience debating on the national stage and has focused much of his career on battles at the state level, he would stumble in the debate with her. His strong performance Tuesday night dashed those hopes, at least for that debate. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said that “Troy Jackson has a strong record that appeals to working families. They know him, and they know where he stands—in a good place to win this election.”

Most observers said Jackson had done an impressive job of challenging Collins on several major issues. Particularly strong in his attacks on her record was his repeated mention of her votes in favor of ICE funding.

It is not normal for a sitting senator with a comfortable lead to agree to debate in the period leading up to the election. Collins’ agreement to a debate is seen as an admission by her campaign that they are in trouble and that Jackson, in their estimation, is within striking distance of winning the election.

Close Senate races are not the only worry Republicans have in the lead-up to the midterm elections. A new NBC/Telemundo poll shows that Trump, for example, is rapidly losing Latino support, with that figure dropping to only 27 percent in the latest poll.

Although Republicans lead in fundraising, the latest figures show that in Maine the Dems have raised $151 million this quarter, not bad for a union-backed candidate like Jackson without significant corporate support. With strong performance in debates, much of the GOP’s fundraising superiority can be countered.

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