{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","slug":"troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","title":"Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by two points in Maine Senate poll","subtitle":"A Fox News survey shows the Democratic challenger ahead, with voters more concerned about Collins’ ties to Trump than Jackson’s progressive alignment","excerpt":"A Fox News poll conducted 6-10 August 2026 shows Troy Jackson leading Susan Collins 48% to 46% in the Maine Senate race, within the 3-point margin of error. The survey of 1,000 registered voters found greater concern over Collins’ ties to Donald Trump than over Jackson’s progressive positions.","category":"Politics","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T09:05:34.413Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-13T03:15:09.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-13T09:05:34.413Z","readTime":"5 min read","scores":{"trust":74,"critic":85,"hype":15,"notes":{"trust":"Trust 74: poll data cited, figures with source, dates given, and multiple independent outlets report the same poll.","critic":"Critic 85: explains significance, provides specific figures, outlines next steps, and maintains clear separation of fact and analysis.","hype":"Hype 15: language is measured; no clickbait or exaggerated urgency beyond the poll report."}},"tags":["#MaineSenateRace","#USMidterms2026","#FoxNewsPoll","#SusanCollins","#TroyJackson"],"entities":["Troy Jackson","Susan Collins","Fox News","Maine","Donald Trump"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["A Fox News poll shows Troy Jackson leading Susan Collins 48% to 46% in the Maine Senate race, a result within the 3-point margin of error.","Voters surveyed are more concerned about Collins’ ties to Donald Trump than about Jackson’s progressive alignment.","Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former Maine Senate president, became the Democratic nominee after Graham Platner withdrew from the race.","The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up, with the election scheduled for 3 November 2026."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A Fox News poll conducted 6-10 August 2026 shows Democratic candidate Troy Jackson leading Republican incumbent Susan Collins 48% to 46% in the Maine Senate race. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters and has a margin of error of three percentage points. The result places the race within the margin of error, making it statistically tied."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Jackson became the Democratic nominee after Graham Platner, the original candidate, withdrew following allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual assault, which he denied. Jackson is a fifth-generation logger from northern Maine and a former president of the Maine Senate. He has emphasised his working-class background and experience representing rural communities."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The poll found that 55% of voters are extremely or very concerned that Collins votes too often with Donald Trump. Collins, who has served in the Senate since 1997 and won her fifth term in 2020 by nearly nine points, has positioned herself as a moderate Republican. The survey indicates that her support is strongest among conservatives, White evangelical Christians, voters without college degrees, and rural voters."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Jackson’s support is strongest among liberals, younger voters, college-degree holders, and union households. He leads among voters under 45, while men are evenly split between the two candidates. The poll also shows that nearly all MAGA Republicans support Collins, but her support drops by nearly 20 percentage points among Republicans who do not identify with MAGA."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreements in the coverage"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Senate Leadership Fund reported that Troy Jackson once said he \"would’ve ran as a communist\" in a 2017 statement. Newsweek, which carried the Fox News poll, did not mention this statement in its report. The Senate Leadership Fund also reported that Jackson had received the Maine Democratic Socialists of America’s endorsement and planned to participate in a DSA candidate forum."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right-rated digests or the centre-rated digest mentioned Jackson’s 2017 statement that he \"would’ve ran as a communist,\" as reported by the Senate Leadership Fund. The left-rated digest also did not mention this statement."},{"type":"stat_callout","value":"48%","label":"Troy Jackson’s support in the Fox News poll","subtext":"Collins polled at 46%, within the 3-point margin of error"}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Newsweek","url":"https://newsweek.com/new-maine-senate-poll-shows-susan-collins-slipping-as-midterms-loom-12316806","headline":"New Fox News Poll Shows Shifts in Maine Senate Race as Collins Slips","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T03:15:09.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Bangor Daily News","url":"https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/12/politics/elections/new-poll-maine-us-senate-race","headline":"Maine voters have strong feelings about Susan Collins, new poll finds","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T23:47:32.000Z"},{"sourceName":"khbrknews","url":"https://khbrknews.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T23:20:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked – Democratic Accent","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T22:00:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Fox News","url":"https://foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T22:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Political Wire","url":"https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/12/troy-jackson-slightly-ahead-in-maine","headline":"Troy Jackson Slightly Ahead in Maine","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T19:29:36.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Senate Leadership Fund","url":"https://senateleadershipfund.org/press-releases/icymi-troy-jackson-said-he-wouldve-ran-as-a-communist","headline":"ICYMI: Troy Jackson Said He Would've Ran As a Communist","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T18:49:22.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":17,"centre":16,"right":67},"count":{"left":1,"centre":1,"right":4},"totalSources":7,"untracked":1,"rated":6,"observedAt":"2026-08-13T12:16:15.864501+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-13T12:45:24.521Z","closedAt":null,"checks":15,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["The Bangor Daily News digest led on voters’ concerns about Susan Collins’ record of voting with Donald Trump, noting that these concerns outweigh worries about Jackson’s progressive alignment. The digest did not mention Jackson’s 2017 statement about running as a communist."],"centre":["Political Wire’s digest reported the poll result showing Jackson leading Collins by two points but did not mention voter concerns about either candidate’s political alignment or Jackson’s 2017 statement."],"right":["Newsweek’s full report led on the competitiveness of the race and the narrow lead Jackson holds over Collins. It quoted the poll’s finding that 55% of voters are concerned about Collins’ ties to Trump and noted Jackson’s working-class background and rural appeal. Newsweek did not mention Jackson’s 2017 statement about running as a communist.","The digests from khbrknews, democraticaccent.com, and Fox News all led on the poll’s finding that voters are more concerned about Collins’ ties to Trump than about Jackson’s progressive alignment. None of these digests mentioned Jackson’s 2017 statement."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"left","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"mixed":3,"high":3,"unknown":1},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":1,"independent":3},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Senate Leadership Fund","url":"https://senateleadershipfund.org/press-releases/icymi-troy-jackson-said-he-wouldve-ran-as-a-communist","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T18:49:22.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"New York, New York, United States","count":3},{"country":"Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"Senate Leadership Fund","url":"https://senateleadershipfund.org/press-releases/icymi-troy-jackson-said-he-wouldve-ran-as-a-communist","headline":"ICYMI: Troy Jackson Said He Would've Ran As a Communist","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T18:49:22.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Political Wire","url":"https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/12/troy-jackson-slightly-ahead-in-maine","headline":"Troy Jackson Slightly Ahead in Maine","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T19:29:36.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Fox News","url":"https://foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T22:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked – Democratic Accent","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T22:00:02.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"khbrknews","url":"https://khbrknews.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked","headline":"Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T23:20:02.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"Fox News"},{"name":"Bangor Daily News","url":"https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/12/politics/elections/new-poll-maine-us-senate-race","headline":"Maine voters have strong feelings about Susan Collins, new poll finds","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T23:47:32.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Newsweek","url":"https://newsweek.com/new-maine-senate-poll-shows-susan-collins-slipping-as-midterms-loom-12316806","headline":"New Fox News Poll Shows Shifts in Maine Senate Race as Collins Slips","publishedAt":"2026-08-13T03:15:09.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by two points in Maine Senate poll\", https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}