Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Troy Jackson says he has no regrets about telling his rival, incumbent Republican Susan Collins, to "shut up" while the candidates squared off during the final preelection debate.
Jackson and Collins sparred last week over President Donald Trump, campaign finances and immigration enforcement in an intense encounter. The debate was briefly interrupted by a data center protester as Collins was speaking.
“This is obviously one of Troy’s supporters,” Collins responded. Jackson fired back, “Oh, shut up. I don’t even know that kid.”
The remark toward the sitting senator drew criticism, including from Collins. Jackson refused to apologize during a CNN appearance on Sunday.
“She said that it was a Troy supporter," Jackson said of Collins during the interview on State of the Union. "I mean...She accused me of setting that up. I had no idea who it was. I was surprised when he jumped up out of there.”
Newsweek has contacted both campaigns for comment.
Last week's debate was the final before Election Day on November 3. The other encounters followed a similar theme, with Collins touting her experience and record of bipartisanship, and Jackson underscoring her political proximity to Trump.
Jackson on Sunday said he has tried to be cordial when dealing with the incumbent senator, but that he objected to the implication he had any hand in Thursday night’s interruption.
“I’ve had four debates with Senator Collins. I’ve shook her hand afterwards every time. What I’m not going to be is talked down to by Senator Collins, I’m not going to be accused of things like that. I’m fighting for Mainers and I just think that was another situation where she was talking down to me so I’m not going to apologize for that,” he said.
Jackson also said groups backing Collins had spent millions "attacking me and my family" with "untrue claims."
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Collins, in an interview with Fox News following the debate, called the speed of Jackson’s retort “very telling,” and said that it was unsurprising given “the reputation Troy Jackson has and particularly when he’s dealing with women with whom he disagrees.”
Collins had in the past accused Jackson of struggling “to control his temper,” alluding to allegations that the Democrat has been confrontational with colleagues during his time as a state lawmaker. Jackson has denied those allegations.
The senator’s campaign told CBS News affiliate WGME that this was “yet another example of Troy Jackson’s angry outbursts with female colleagues, and it raises a serious question about how he handles women who disagree with him.”
A Jackson campaign spokeswoman, Maggie Amjad, told the New York Times that the opposing campaign’s attempt “to turn that exchange into anything else is baseless.”
Troy Jackson vs. Susan Collins: The Latest State of Play
The latest Polymarket odds give Jackson a 58 percent chance of winning the crucial Senate seat, and the Democrat has led in the majority of polls since entering the race in late July after Democratic primary winner Graham Platner stepped down amid controversy.
A recent poll from InsiderAdvantage shows Jackson with a two-point edge over Collins, similar to one in a survey released Wednesday by Suffolk University. The latter polled 500 Maine voters between October 8 and October 11, with Jackson getting 49 percent support compared to Collins’s 47 percent. Four percent of respondents said they were undecided.
Jackson’s leads in most cases have fallen within margins of error, and Collins has in the past demonstrated an ability to overcome significant polling disadvantages.
Ahead of the 2020 elections, the final polling averages had Collins trailing Sara Gideon by nearly four points, but the Republican went on to win the race easily, 51 percent to 42 percent.
Latest Developments in the Maine Senate Race Between Collins and Jackson
With only two weeks to go until November 3, the Maine Senate race is crucial for both party's hopes to carry the majority in the upper chamber.
Democrats must defend all their seats and flip four GOP seats to take control. Maine, along with North Carolina, is one of the only targets in a state where Kamala Harris defeated Trump in 2024. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rate the race as a toss-up.
Both candidates continue to campaign across Maine—touting their records while attacking their opponent on experience, proximity to the Trump administration and campaign financing.
Last week, Jackson’s campaign filed its first financial disclosure form with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which showed that Jackson outraised Collins four-to-one in the most recent quarter, though he remains behind in overall fundraising and outside assistance.
Jackson has secured an endorsement from former President Barack Obama and campaigned with progressive firebrand Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren rallied alongside Jackson in Portland, Maine, on Saturday. Speaking on the national “No Kings” day of action, Warren urged Mainers to vote for Jackson as a defense against Trump’s agenda.
“You can either have a rubber stamp for a wannabe king, or you can have a fighter for the people,” Warren said. “My money is on Troy Jackson.”
And representatives for Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have said that the New York congresswoman will hold a town hall with Jackson in Portland this week.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Geoffrey Rowland.