Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday joined Democrat Troy Jackson on the campaign trail, aiming to boost his voter support in the critical Maine U.S. Maine's Senate battle is among a handful of toss-ups that could determine the balance of power in Congress’ upper chamber after this year’s midterm elections. Jackson, former president of the Maine Senate, is challenging longtime incumbent Republican Susan Collins in a state that President Donald Trump lost in all three of his elections.
Despite the Pine Tree State's Democratic tilt, polls point to a close race. Collins has won by large margins in the past due to her personal popularity and bipartisan image, and both parties anticipate a close race on November 3. Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and Jackson appeared together at the Students vs.
Billionaires Town Hall, an event hosted in Portland by the progressive organization More Perfect University. During the event, which lasted about an hour, the two progressives took questions from college students based in Maine on a variety of issues including healthcare, transgender rights and foreign policy. Ocasio-Cortez's appearance comes as Jackson is working to not only win over independent voters but also motivate his own party’s progressive base.
He has appeared in recent weeks with other prominent progressives like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. The New York congresswoman, who is popular among younger progressives whom Jackson’s campaign is working to motivate, said Collins “paved the way” for healthcare cuts by helping advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a signature piece of legislation backed by President Donald Trump. Collins has touted her vote against the bill, but Democrats have criticized her for voting to advance it in procedural votes, which they said ultimately helped its passage.
That she waited until it went past the post in order to say no, when at every other point she said yes.” Ocasio-Cortez also touted Jackson as the candidate who “believes in our reproductive freedom.” “He has stood up for our equal pay. He has stood up for our rights,” she said. Not afraid to stand up to the billionaires,” he said.
That’s the type of passion that I definitely want to bring to the U.S. Senate.” The Collins campaign previously criticized Jackson for campaigning with Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives. That they are all campaigning in Maine for Troy Jackson tells voters exactly how he would govern,” Blake Kernen, a Collins campaign spokesperson, previously told Newsweek.
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