Takeaways From the First Maine Senate Debate Between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson
New York Times · LC · trust 49/100
Senator Susan Collins, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the midterms, clashed with the Democratic challenger Troy Jackson over President Trump, ICE and more.
Share full article Senator Susan Collins, left, clashed with the Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in their first debate. Ryan David Brown for The New York Times By Lisa Lerer Tim Balk and Emily Davies
Lisa Lerer reported from New York, Tim Balk from Portland, Maine, and Emily Davies from Washington.
It’s not often that an incumbent agrees to multiple debates against a challenger. But Ms. Collins appeared to be betting that Mr. Jackson, who is known as a bit of an uneven campaigner and has never run in a statewide general election , would stumble.
Instead, he held his own against a five-term senator in a duel that was, at times, quite testy.
Here are five takeaways from the debate in Maine, a crucial state in the battle for Senate control.
At times, Ms. Collins seemed to have two opponents on the debate stage: Mr. Jackson and Mr. Trump.
Throughout the night, Ms. Collins tried to rebut Mr. Jackson’s argument that she had failed to stand up to the president even as she often expressed grave concern about his policies.
She criticized Mr. Trump’s tariffs, said his immigration enforcement action needed more oversight and, at one point, proudly boasted, “I am not exactly his favorite senator.”
Ms. Collins sidestepped a question about whether she would stand with Mr. Trump if he were to visit Maine, which the president suggested this week that he might do. “I don’t think that President Trump is going to come to Maine,” she said.
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