--- title: "Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by two points in Maine Senate poll" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll" api: "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" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-13T09:05:34.413Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T03:15:09.000Z" updated: "2026-08-13T09:05:34.413Z" trust_score: 74 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T12:16:15.864501+00:00" --- # Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by two points in Maine Senate poll *A Fox News survey shows the Democratic challenger ahead, with voters more concerned about Collins’ ties to Trump than Jackson’s progressive alignment* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 74 of 100, higher is better. Trust 74: poll data cited, figures with source, dates given, and multiple independent outlets report the same poll. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Critic 85: explains significance, provides specific figures, outlines next steps, and maintains clear separation of fact and analysis. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype 15: language is measured; no clickbait or exaggerated urgency beyond the poll report. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ## Disagreements in the coverage 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. ## What the coverage left out 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. **48%** — Troy Jackson’s support in the Fox News poll (Collins polled at 46%, within the 3-point margin of error) ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 17% (1) - Centre: 16% (1) - Right: 67% (4) 1 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T12:16:15.864501+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 15 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T12:45:24.521Z. ## How the sides framed it ### 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. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/new-maine-senate-poll-shows-susan-collins-slipping-as-midterms-loom-12316806) — New Fox News Poll Shows Shifts in Maine Senate Race as Collins Slips - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/12/politics/elections/new-poll-maine-us-senate-race) — Maine voters have strong feelings about Susan Collins, new poll finds - [khbrknews](https://khbrknews.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked) — Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked - [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked) — Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked – Democratic Accent - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-new-matchup-same-result-maine-senate-race-stays-locked) — Fox News Poll: New matchup, same result: Maine Senate race stays locked - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/12/troy-jackson-slightly-ahead-in-maine) — Troy Jackson Slightly Ahead in Maine - [Senate Leadership Fund](https://senateleadershipfund.org/press-releases/icymi-troy-jackson-said-he-wouldve-ran-as-a-communist) — ICYMI: Troy Jackson Said He Would've Ran As a Communist ## Questions **What does the Fox News poll show about the Maine Senate race?** The Fox News poll conducted 6-10 August 2026 shows Troy Jackson leading Susan Collins 48% to 46%, within the 3-point margin of error. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered Maine voters and indicates the race is statistically tied, with the Cook Political Report rating it a toss-up. **Why are voters concerned about Susan Collins?** The Fox News poll found that 55% of Maine voters are extremely or very concerned that Collins votes too often with Donald Trump. This concern outweighs worries about Jackson’s progressive alignment, according to the survey. **What did Troy Jackson say about running as a communist?** The Senate Leadership Fund reported that Jackson once said in 2017 that he "would’ve ran as a communist" if that was what it took to obtain political power. This statement was not mentioned in the Fox News poll coverage by Newsweek or other outlets. **When is the Maine Senate election?** The Maine Senate election is scheduled for 3 November 2026. The race is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, with both campaigns expected to focus on persuading undecided voters in the coming months. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/troy-jackson-leads-susan-collins-by-two-points-in-maine-senate-poll. Please cite as: 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