Susan Collins’ ads attack Troy Jackson on affordability. Here’s some context.

Collins Launches Attack Ads on Affordability in Biddeford, Focuses on Property Taxes and Power Prices

In the first week of September, Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who is running for reelection in Maine’s open Senate seat, began airing a series of 30‑second television spots that accuse her Democratic rival, former Senate President Troy Jackson, of harming Mainers through higher taxes and electric bills. The ads were shown on local and national stations and were shot on the campaign trail in Biddeford, where Collins visited Volk Packaging Corporation to meet reporters and supporters.

Collins’ campaign said the ads were a response to a summer poll that found cost‑of‑living concerns ranked among the top issues for Maine voters. The poll, conducted by the New York Times, the Portland Press Herald and Siena College, also indicated that Mainers were wary of the Trump‑era trade war with Canada that has lifted prices on imported goods.

The Core Claims

The ads make two central accusations:

1. Property‑tax hikes under Jackson’s Senate presidency
   The first spot claims that Jackson “raised property taxes on seniors.” It points to the 2023 state budget, LD 258, approved July 6 by a 22‑9 vote in the Senate, in which a program that capped property taxes for people 65 and older was eliminated. That program, adopted just a year earlier, was designed to reimburse towns for lost revenue and let seniors keep their homes without paying full taxes. The ad says the removal of the program forced towns to increase taxes for seniors.

2. Maine’s electricity rates are the steepest in the nation
   A second ad states that Jackson’s tenure in the Senate caused a “skyrocketing” rise in power bills. It cites a federal report compiled by Axios that said Maine’s electricity costs were up 36 percent between May 2024 and May 2025. The ad also says that a bill recommended by the Maine Public Advocate to cut electric rates was “killed” by Jackson.

The ads also mention that Jackson oversaw a rise in the “average” price per kilowatt‑hour, and that the Public Advocate’s bill would have saved households an estimated $275 per year.

Polling and Context

The claims are tied to real‑world numbers, though the interpretation is contested. In 2023, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy ranked Maine as the fifth highest‑burdened state on property taxes, with households paying roughly 4 percent of their income on local taxes. The ad implies that Jackson’s leadership caused that ranking, whereas the Institute’s testimony to the Legislature cites more structural factors—such as infrequent property revaluations and unfunded mandates—rather than Jackson’s personal actions.

Electricity data are similarly nuanced. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that Maine’s average electricity price per kilowatt‑hour rose about 40 percent from 2019 to 2024, the highest increase among the states. However, state‑level analyses, using actual utility bills, show the rate increased 20.7 percent between 2024 and 2025, not the 36 percent cited in the federal report. The discrepancy comes from the federal calculation, which was based on utility revenue and consumption rather than the consumer bills that Mainers pay.

Jackson’s Response

Jackson’s campaign quickly countered the attacks. “Susan Collins can’t defend her own record, so she and her billionaire backers are lying about Troy’s record instead,” said David Farmer, Jackson’s campaign spokesperson. Farmer added that Collins has voted with President Trump 96 percent of the time, confirmed the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, and supported a $70‑billion grant to ICE that included drastic Medicaid cuts. “No matter what they say about Troy, Mainers know that Collins has made their lives harder,” he said.

Jackson has also challenged the accuracy of Collins’ claims regarding the Medicaid cuts. He has repeatedly said that Collins supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—signed by President Trump in July 2026, which contained the Medicaid cuts. In fact, Collins voted to advance the bill to the floor but opposed its enactment, according to the official record.

Property‑Tax Relief Debate

The debate over the senior property‑tax program dates back to the 2022 legislative session, when Sen. Trey Stewart, R‑Presque Isle, introduced the original stabilization bill. The program allowed anyone over 65 to apply for a tax break that capped their property‑tax bill at the existing rate. The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support, but the 2023 budget removed it and replaced it with a senior deferral program and a property‑tax‑fairness credit. While the deferral program lets seniors stop paying taxes until they sell or die, the fairness credit provides a tax credit to those paying a high percentage of income in property taxes or rent. Critics argue that the new programs favor wealthier homeowners because they lack income eligibility tests.

Sen. Russell Black, R‑Franklin, introduced LR 2779 to revive the original program with income‑based eligibility, but the bill was defeated in late 2023 after Senate President Jackson and other leaders blocked it.

Electricity Policy and Net Energy Billing

The public‑advocate bill that Jackson is accused of killing dealt with Maine’s Net Energy Billing program—an initiative that refunds local renewable‑energy projects through a surcharge on consumers’ electricity bills. In April 2023, Public Advocate William Harwood testified that the program could cost consumers about $275 per year over two years, though he did not take a position for or against it. Jackson voted against the bill, and it did not advance.

Looking Ahead

Collins has spent roughly $160,000 on the ad campaign so far, according to AdImpact, and says the message is part of a broader push on affordability. She also highlighted her bipartisan work on the Supreme Court and her support for the U.S. military during the Politico interview that accompanied the release of the ads.

Jackson’s campaign continues to emphasize his track record on state budget negotiations, arguing that the state budget was approved with bipartisan support, including two Republicans. He also stresses his work on consumer protection and public‑utility regulation.

Maine’s November election will test whether voters respond to the affordability narrative that Collins is promoting or to Jackson’s record on state finances and public‑service oversight. Both candidates have pointed to the other’s policy choices as evidence of mismanagement, and the campaign season is likely to see more focused attacks on cost‑of‑living issues as the election approaches.