Story perspectives

Collins leads Jackson in Maine Senate race poll

By Drooid · Sep 26, 2026, 10:57 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Pay to play allegations

A poll released on Sept. 24 2026 shows Republican Sen. Susan Collins leading Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate race.
ProPublica alleges a pay-to-play scheme: Collins received $150,000 from Navatek CEO Martin Kao through a shell company in return for federal contracts.
The FBI investigated from 2022 to 2024, then closed the probe under President Donald Trump.
Democratic challenger Troy Jackson called the allegations a “pay-to-play” scandal and demanded Collins’s response.

Right

Fundraiser after scandal

A poll released on Sept. 24 2026 shows Republican Sen. Susan Collins leading Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate race.
Collins and her campaign called the ProPublica report a partisan hit job; the FBI found no evidence against her.
The New York Times/Siena poll gave Collins 49% support, Jackson 46%, with 5% undecided.
Collins held a fundraising event in Gorham, her first public appearance since the allegations surfaced.

History

Historical Context

On June 17 1972 operatives from President Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign broke into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex, sparking investigations that led to Nixon’s August 9 1974 resignation and charges against 69 participants. The scandal prompted sweeping campaign-finance reforms, a legacy echoed today as Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces a $150,000 pay-to-play probe in Maine.

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Pay to play allegations

A poll released on Sept. 24 2026 shows Republican Sen. Susan Collins leading Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate race.
ProPublica alleges a pay-to-play scheme: Collins received $150,000 from Navatek CEO Martin Kao through a shell company in return for federal contracts.
The FBI investigated from 2022 to 2024, then closed the probe under President Donald Trump.
Democratic challenger Troy Jackson called the allegations a “pay-to-play” scandal and demanded Collins’s response.

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