Bernie Sanders joined Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson in Bangor on Saturday, opening a three-city get-out-the-vote tour aimed at energizing progressives and helping Democrats take back the Senate. More than 600 people attended the rally, where Sanders framed Maine’s contest against Republican Sen. Susan Collins as a potential determinant of whether Republicans retain control of the chamber. The tour continues Sunday in Lewiston and Biddeford, with Election Day about three weeks away.
Sanders and Jackson emphasized a message centered on working families, unions, Social Security, schools and Medicare for All. Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former president of the Maine Senate, presented his legislative record and working-class background as the foundation of his campaign. Sanders has longstanding ties to Jackson, who directed Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign in Maine and supported him as a convention superdelegate.
The appearance came after a turbulent summer for Maine Democrats. Graham Platner won the party’s June Senate primary but withdrew in July after an ex-romantic partner accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denied. Jackson then secured the nomination at an emergency convention, giving him less than four months to introduce himself to voters and build a statewide campaign against Collins, a five-term incumbent.
Republicans moved quickly to attack Jackson after his nomination, portraying him as too liberal and linking him to Platner. Collins has highlighted Jackson’s past support for Sanders and criticized his backing of a government-funded health care system. Her campaign also holds a substantial financial advantage: federal filings showed Collins had raised more than $16 million, while Jackson’s campaign said it had collected more than $1 million since he entered the Senate race.
The race remains close. A poll of about 800 likely voters conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 gave Jackson 50 percent support to Collins’ 46 percent, a margin within the survey’s error range. Voters in that survey split between national and state concerns: Jackson benefited from opposition to President Donald Trump and support for Democratic control of the Senate, while Collins retained an advantage among voters focused on her ability to bring federal money to Maine.
Collins has sought to preserve her independent image while Jackson has tried to connect her to Trump and the Republican agenda. In their first debate, Collins pointed to votes against Trump’s policies and said she was not the president’s favorite senator. Jackson focused on her vote confirming Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and on a procedural vote involving a 2025 tax and spending bill that Collins ultimately opposed. The candidates are scheduled for additional debates this week as both campaigns intensify their final appeal to Maine’s voters.