Ad attacking Troy Jackson ran in the wrong Portland
Maine Super‑PAC’s $25,000 Attack Ad Campaign Accidentally Targeted Oregon, Not Maine
A Republican‑aligned Super‑PAC intended to run attack ads against Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Troy Jackson in the 2026 Maine election mistakenly placed the ads in Portland, Oregon. The error cost roughly $25,000, generated more than 1.2 million impressions, and sparked swift correction and refunds from the PAC’s vendor.
Defending Maine Street, a Super‑PAC that backs Republican candidates, paid the 1903 Group’s political‑ads arm, Cross Screen Media, to produce ads that ran in more than 260 zip codes in Oregon between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11. According to the Google Ads Transparency Center, the campaign was later updated on a Monday to target Maine, but the ads had already been served in Oregon.
The mistake was uncovered when the PAC’s staff realized the campaign’s audience had been set to Oregon instead of Maine. The PAC’s spokesperson confirmed that “the error was identified, the ads were immediately stopped and corrected, and the vendor is refunding Defending Maine Street the full amount of the misplaced spend. No donor funds will be lost as a result of the vendor’s error.” Cross Screen Media, owned by the 1903 Group, issued a statement that “this was 100% a Cross Screen Media error.”
Troy Jackson, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Senator Susan Collins, called the mishap “so out of touch with Maine that they can’t even find it on a map.” Jackson’s spokesperson, Dan Gottlieb, added that “good luck convincing Mainers you know what’s best for them when you don’t know which Portland they live in.” A spokesperson for Senator Collins has yet to respond to requests for comment.
The ads were shown more than 1.2 million times during the brief Oregon run. Defending Maine Street has pledged to reimburse the full $25,000, ensuring that no donor money is lost. The incident highlights the importance of precise geographic targeting in digital political advertising, particularly as the 2026 election cycle heats up.
Maine voters can expect more scrutiny of campaign spending and advertising practices as the race for the Senate seat intensifies.
