Live updates: Susan Collins and Troy Jackson debate for a final time
Democratic nominee Troy Jackson and Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Photos by Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer and J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)
Read all of our coverage of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the Maine Political Report in your inbox or text messages from politics editor Kirby Wilson.
The fourth and final debate between Troy Jackson and Susan Collins is here.
After a whirlwind two weeks in which the candidates repeatedly faced questions from Maine journalists, they will meet for a final time onstage Thursday in Bangor.
Tonight’s debate is hosted by the Portland Press Herald, Maine Public and NEWSCENTER Maine.
As always, we’ll be following along live. The event starts at 7 p.m., and you can watch a livestream below.
Ended
Updated 7:58 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks so much for following along with us, not just for this debate, but for all the debates!
We’ll see you next time.
Updated 7:56 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
A Maine Mount Rushmore?
The candidates ended by answering a question about who should be on a Maine-themed Mount Rushmore, if such a thing were to exist.
Collins took a beat before answering Joshua Chamberlain, who fought for the Union in the Civil War. Jackson said Frances Perkins, the former Labor Secretary, and the first woman to hold a Cabinet position.
Updated 7:54 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
America’s role in the world in the spotlight
Jackson was asked about America’s role in the world. He pivoted to criticizing Trump’s orientation to power. He said he likes to hang out with Chinese President Xi Jinping and and Russian President Vladimir Putin because he admires their authoritarian leanings.
“He appreciates what they can do in their countries, and he’d like to do the same damn thing here,” Jackson said.
Collins said she is a strong supporter of Ukraine and that she “adamantly opposed” the Russian invasion of the country. She noted that she signed a letter criticizing Trump’s recent move to buy some oil from Russia.
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Updated 7:51 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
The candidates weigh in on assault weapons
When asked whether she supports gun reforms, Collins noted that the state is approaching the anniversary of the mass shooting in Lewiston in 2023.
Collins noted that she supported the initial assault weapons ban, and that she supports a reasonable limit on magazine capacity and ban on bump stocks. She also said she is open to increasing the age limit on so-called assault weapons.
Jackson said he’s not in favor of increasing the age limit to buy the weapons, but said he’s not opposed to banning them. He noted he would not advocate for taking away the weapons from people who already have them.
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Updated 7:50 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Is American democracy under attack?
When asked by an everyday Mainer whether American democracy is under attack, Jackson said it was, noting the actions of ICE and Trump’s moves to try to restrict voting rights.
Collins said she takes a longer view.
“We are resilient and strong. I’ve seen the executive branch over the years, regardless of whether it was Democratic president or a Republican president, try to get more and more power,” Collins said.
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Updated 7:49 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Reuben M. Schafir Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/reuben-schafir/)
Jackson seems to be settling in
If he was stilted in previous debates, Jackson seems to be finding more a comedic stride tonight. He’s slipped in a number of these one-liner jabs such as his jab about the Supreme Court, and they’re playing well in the room.
Updated 7:47 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Candidates duel over view of judiciary
Hirschkorn asked the candidates about what judicial reforms they’d support. Jackson has called for term limits for the Supreme Court.
Collins said that’s not the way to go.
“What we want is a Supreme Court that is insulated from politics,” Collins said.
Jackson shot back with a joke.
“We have the best court that money can buy,” Jackson said.
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Updated 7:45 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Collins gets question on mobile home protections from private equity
Collins was asked by an everyday Mainer why her bill to protect private equity from home sales did not include mobile homes.
The senator said her bill initially did include a provision to protect mobile homes, but that it was lost as the bill navigated D.C.
Jackson criticized Collins for not doing enough for everyday Mainers.
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Updated 7:43 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
A climate change question!
Jackson said climate change poses an opportunity for Maine: the state should pivot to green energy and sell its excess energy to other states.
Collins said she agrees climate change is a problem, but that the answer can’t be to pass policies that hurt Maine families. She notes that as Senate President, Jackson presided over a spike in energy prices in Maine.
Jackson countered that as senator, Collins has presided in a huge spike in gas prices.
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Updated 7:32 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Collins pressed on support for ICE funding
Hirschkorn asked Collins about whether the reforms she’s pushed for — body camera requirements, for example — are adequate to rein in the agency’s excesses.
Collins said she supports additional reforms, including calling for the agency to be barred from certain sensitive areas such as schools and hospitals. And she said officers need more training and vetting.
Jackson was asked why he prefers Customs and Border Protection to take over ICE’s responsibilities given that CBP officers fatally shot a Minnesota man earlier this year.
Jackson said she wouldn’t give immigration officers a “blank check” like Collins did.
This is an emerging theme of the night: Jackson expresses a number of things he wouldn’t do, but doesn’t express clearly what he would do.
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Updated 7:31 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Reuben M. Schafir Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/reuben-schafir/)
A note on the audience
The audience is getting rowdy. People were laughing and “oohing” and “ahhing” at several of the pithier lines in Jackson’s answer to Collins’ question about his campaign finance filing
Updated 7:28 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
How should the Iran war end?
Jackson said the sooner we get out of the Iran war, the better. And he once again criticized Collins for voting early on not to end the war.
Collins noted that Trump should have had a plan to deal with the Strait of Hormuz. Then she pivoted to talking about how America should undergo permitting reform to unleash its own energy resources.
She also reiterated Iran should not be allowed to make a nuclear weapon.
When pressed on the beginning of the war, Collins said Congress should have been consulted on the war.
“Under the War Powers Act, the president, as commander-in-chief, for the first 60 days, has very broad authority to do whatever he wants, essentially, when it comes to a military conflict,” Collins said. “After 60 days, that’s when I voted every single time with the Democrats to bring the conflict to a halt.”
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Updated 7:26 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Jackson asks whether Collins looks down on him
“Is it just me that you look down on, or is it working class people overall?” Jackson asked Collins.
Collins said she doesn’t look down on anyone. She noted her first job was picking potatoes. She said she has worked since she was 10 years old.
She pivoted to talking about how heating assistance has been funded at record levels, and noted that she supports social safety net programs.
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Updated 7:23 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Collins presses Jackson on disclosing his donors, support from billionaires
Given an opportunity to ask Jackson a question, Collins noted Jackson’s promise to release his campaign finance report by Wednesday morning — a deadline he blew.
And she accused Jackson of coordinating with well-funded PACs funded by billionaires while criticizing Collins for her support from billionaires.
Jackson said he may have gotten some support by billionaires, drawing a reaction from the room. But he said he still plans to tax them.
“They know that I don’t owe them a thing like Sen. Collins,” Jackson said.
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Updated 7:21 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Does Jackson believe retribution is in order if Democrats regain power?
Jackson said retribution isn’t the way.
“I think we need to deliver for the American public,” Jackson said.
However, he noted he would vote to impeach Hegseth, Trump’s Defense Secretary.
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Updated 7:19 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Does Collins regret RFK vote?
Collins noted the areas where she disagrees with the controversial U.S. Health and Human Services department secretary. For example, she doesn’t believe vaccines cause autism — a link Kennedy has made in the past.
But she said she agrees with him on his focus on chronic diseases. Overall, she’t said she didn’t regret the vote.
Updated 7:18 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Reuben M. Schafir Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/reuben-schafir/)
A look at the instigator from the room
A young man just stood up from the fourth row and interrupted Collins before she could answer a question. He was quickly escorted out of the room to applause.
Updated 7:15 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
An interruption from the audience
Someone is shouting about AI data centers, causing the debate to come to a halt.
Collins accused the instigator of being a Jackson supporter.
Jackson’s response was muffled, but it sounded like he said, “oh, shut up,” noting he didn’t know the person.
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Updated 7:11 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Senators’ plans for the $40 trillion national debt
Collins said a solution to the debt crisis is growing the economy. Part of that means not raising taxes the way that she said Jackson would.
And she contended that in the appropriations committee, spending has remained relatively flat.
“I don’t know what world Sen. Collins is in where she started out, we had $4 trillion in debt, now we have $40 trillion in debt under her watch, and somehow it’s my fault,” Jackson responded. “In Maine, we have a balanced budget. Has it grown? Yes. But it’s still balanced.”
He noted that tax cuts for wealthy Americans contribute to the debt.
Collins noted Maine is running a potential budget deficit of about $1 billion — you can read about that here — and Jackson noted that he hasn’t been in the Legislature since 2024.
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Updated 7:07 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
When have Collins’ votes against Trump changed the outcome?
When asked by moderator Phil Hirschkorn for an example of a time her vote against her party has affected the outcome, Collins noted her organized opposition against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But one of Collins’ colleagues defected from the effort, and Hegseth was eventually confirmed.
Pressed on that point, Collins pivoted to attacking Jackson, arguing she’d vote the Democratic party line if elected.
Jackson contended that Collins would be a rubber stamp for Trump in her sixth term, and the two squabbled over how often Collins supports Trump.
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Updated 7:05 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Would Congress be better when led by Democrats or Republicans?
When asked why his party should lead Congress, Jackson focused on a lot of negatives.
He said Congress shouldn’t be abiding President Donald Trump’s trade wars, his war in Iran and his work to cut taxes for the wealthy.
When asked the same question about her party, Collins said her party has worked to secure the border.
But Collins also said she would vote independently during her sixth term.
“We need more people in the center. We don’t need more people who are going to vote a straight party line,” Collins said.
Read more
Updated 7:03 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Jackson’s opening statement hits on chaos in our politics
Following a familiar line of attack, Jackson hit Collins for voting to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Collins did not ultimately support the measure, but Jackson has repeatedly attacked her for a vote to advance the bill. (She’s argued it would have made the floor anyway, and that because of her vote, she was able to get a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals amended onto it.)
Updated 7:02 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Collins’ opening statement focuses on legislative experience
Like she has in other debates, Collins touted her work to secure some $1.5 billion for Maine projects.
She noted that one of the first measures she pushed for in Congress was a tax deduction on interest payments for student loans.
“I ask for your support so I can continue my work for you,” Collins said.
Read more
Updated 7:00 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
And we are off!
It’s the top of the hour, time to debate.
Updated 6:52 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Jackson’s campaign finance report is in
He promised to deliver the numbers Wednesday morning. They came about 36 hours later — though still before the statutory deadline.
Take a look at our rundown of the third quarter fundraising by Collins and Jackson. The Democrat had a heck of a quarter — but he’s still being badly outraised by Collins and her allies.
Updated 6:51 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Reuben M. Schafir Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/reuben-schafir/)
The candidates take the stage
The candidates have arrived! The room is full mostly of Collins and Jackson supporters, who broke out into applause as the candidates took the stage. The two met in a cordial handshake and are now at their podiums taking last minute notes.
Updated 6:48 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Gregory Rec Staff Photographer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/gregory-rec/)
Pictures tell the story
Here’s a look a the scenes outside the debate. Might be a bit more raucous inside than the past three.
Tory Jackson supporters hold signs outside the Gracie Theater at Husson University in Bangor before the start of the senatorial debate on Thursday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
Christopher Maichin, a field manager for the Susan Collins campaign, shouts into a bull horn outside of the Gracie Theater at Husson University in Bangor before the start of the senatorial debate on Thursday. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
Updated 6:36 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Can we expect something new tonight?
By now, Jackson, 58, and Collins, 73, are familiar with each other’s debating style and lines of attack.
They’ve clashed repeatedly in prior meetings over characterizations of their long records in public service. So it will be interesting to see if their frustrations boil over more than they have in the past debates — each of which has featured testy exchanges and demands for apologies.
Coming into tonight, Jackson’s campaign said the former logger will try to focus on healthcare — something that he’s done in each debate so far. He will undoubtedly continue to tie Collins to President Donald Trump, who’s deeply unpopular here.
Expect Collins to continue to highlight her seniority in the Senate as a strength and try to shift blame for the high cost of — whether its property taxes or electricity rates — onto Jackson, who served as state Senate president for six years.
Let’s hope the candidates break some new ground. But after three televised debates in two weeks, that may be difficult to do.
Read more
Updated 6:13 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Reuben M. Schafir Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/reuben-schafir/)
Update from on the ground from Bangor
Just under an hour before the candidates are set to take the stage, supporters of each have gathered in the parking lot outside the venue. Jackson’s supporters are blasting music and holding a large banner that reads “Let them eat road salt” — a zinger from the first debate.
Across the lot, Collins supporters are doing a call-and-response with the senator’s first and last name in front of a large tour bus.
Updated 5:58 pm · October 15, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
One hour to go!
We are about an hour from go time.
Get caught up on our past debate coverage before we get started. You can read our takeaways from the first debate here, from the second debate here and from the third debate here.
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Tagged: election 2026, senate 2026, Susan Collins, Troy Jackson
Kirby Wilson is the politics editor for the Portland Press Herald. In that capacity, he oversees political coverage for all Maine Trust for Local News publications. Before joining METLN, he was the senior. More by Kirby Wilson
