After Democrats' shake-up, Collins faces toss-up against Platner replacement in must-win Senate race

The first Fox News Power Rankings of nan 2026 midterm elections and a caller canvass some bespeak an highly adjacent title betwixt longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Troy Jackson, nan campaigner group to switch ex-nominee Graham Platner arsenic nan Democratic challenger, successful what's expected to beryllium a premiere Senate battleground.

The Fox News Power Rankings, which gauge nan competitiveness of elections utilizing data, reporting, and analysis, ranks nan showdown successful Maine arsenic a toss-up. The midterm ballot container battle is 1 of astir a twelve Senate contests that will find if nan Democrats triumph backmost nan enclosure aliases if Republicans clasp onto their slim majority.

Meanwhile, a Pine Tree Poll conducted complete nan past 7 days by nan University of New Hampshire Survey Center indicates Jackson pinch a flimsy three-point separator complete Collins among apt wide predetermination voters successful Maine.

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Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for nan 2026 Maine gubernatorial nomination, is connected a glide way to switch ex-candidate Graham Platner arsenic nan Democratic Party's Senate nominee. (Sophie Park / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jackson, a erstwhile Maine Senate president, is connected a glide way to switch Platner astatine Saturday's Maine Democratic Party nominating normal successful Bangor, aft winning nan immense mostly of nan 500 voting delegates chosen this past play by Democrats successful nan state's 16 counties. And astir of Jackson's apical rivals for nan information backed him aft dropping retired of nan title connected Sunday.

While nan delegates connected Jackson's slate are not required to support him astatine nan normal successful Bangor, Maine, he is now considered each but definite to unafraid nan nomination.

A fifth-generation logger and a one-time blimpish Republican who became a Democrat complete 2 decades ago, Jackson came successful 3rd spot past period successful Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Platner dropped retired earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats successful Maine and crossed nan state to instantly exit nan title pursuing an explosive study containing an allegation of rape from a female he antecedently dated. Platner denied nan study but stepped aside.

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Then-Democratic Senate campaigner Graham Platner and Troy Jackson guidelines together during a "Fighting Oligarchy" circuit extremity astatine nan Collins Center for nan Arts connected nan University of Maine field successful Orono, Maine, connected May 24, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Jackson, who had campaigned alongside Platner during nan primary, quickly made nan lawsuit that he was nan champion equipped campaigner to drawback nan mantle of nan progressive and populist activity that had backed Platner.

Along pinch Platner, Jackson had nan support of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont arsenic he ran for governor, and he is presently backed by Our Revolution, nan group calved successful 2016 retired of Sanders' first statesmanlike campaign.

Jackson, akin to Platner, is moving connected a level aimed astatine working-class voters. He backs raising taxes connected billionaires, nan cosmopolitan healthcare strategy known arsenic "Medicare-for-all," abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he opposes subject assistance to Israel astatine a clip that Democrats are progressively divided connected support for America's longtime Middle East ally.

Collins, arsenic she runs for a sixth six-year word successful nan Senate, is facing a unsmooth governmental ambiance for Republicans, amid GOP President Donald Trump's underwater support ratings, persistent ostentation and what polls bespeak is an unpopular warfare pinch Iran.

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Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine stands for an question and reply pinch Fox News Digital, connected Feb. 10, 2026 successful Washington D.C. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The senator, known arsenic a mean Republican who astatine times has voted against Trump, past period received bipartisan praise aft reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote.

But Democrats are taking purpose astatine Collins complete her comments that she didn't regret her 2018 ballot to corroborate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, contempt his important ballot 4 years later to overturn nan landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

And pursuing nan fatal shooting successful Maine earlier this period involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Democrats heavy criticized nan Senate Appropriations Committee chair for her support for ICE funding.

But Collins has a history of defeating nan Democrats' efforts to oust her from nan Senate.

Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, nan then-Maine House speaker, but nan legislator ended up winning re-election by astir 9 points.

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Fox News released its first Power Rankings of nan 2026 midterm elections connected July 21, 2026. (Fox News)

Republicans presently clasp a 53-47 mostly successful nan U.S. Senate. That intends Democrats would request a nett summation of 4 seats successful nan midterms to retake nan majority, which they mislaid successful nan 2024 elections.

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The Senate title successful Maine, on pinch battles for Republican-controlled Senate seats successful Alaska, Iowa, and Ohio, are classed arsenic toss-ups successful nan Fox News Power Rankings.