Incumbent Susan Collins and Troy Jackson face a tight race for U.S. Senate in Maine as the state’s healthcare system is under duress ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections. Healthcare has become a major dividing line between Collins, a moderate Republican, and Jackson, a progressive Democrat, in what is expected to be one of the nation's closest contests on November 3.
It’s a major issue for voters in Maine, where the closures of rural maternity wards, consolidation of hospitals and cuts to Medicaid could upend a medical system that is already under pressure. Maine also has one of the oldest populations in the country, so programs like Medicare are important to many voters. Newsweek reached out to the Collins and Jackson campaigns for comment via email.
Maine’s race remains one of the most important of the midterms for Senate control. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, so Democrats need to flip a net four seats to win control of the chamber, as Vice President JD Vance would serve as the tiebreaking vote in the event of a tie. Democrats have viewed Maine as one of their top opportunities to flip a seat this year, as it is a left-leaning state that President Donald Trump lost in all three of his presidential runs, including by 7 percentage points in 2024.
Trump’s popularity has fallen since then amid voter frustration with the state of the economy, giving Democrats hopes that Collins may be more vulnerable this year. But Collins is still seen as a formidable opponent, and polls point to a close race. Collins’ personal popularity and bipartisan image has helped her defy partisanship in the past, and she has touted her status as the chair of the Appropriations Committee on the campaign trail as a boon for the state, including its rural healthcare system.
Maine has faced a rural healthcare crisis, with 11 of the state’s 23 maternity wards closing in the past decade, and a planned closure of a birthing unit in Damariscotta in December could add to that strain. Major networks across the state have also been grappling with a difficult environment and consolidation. For instance, York Hospital this month was absorbed into MaineHealth.
Northern Lights Health, another provider, has also dealt with years of financial turmoil and has had to close facilities. Work requirements passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in 2025 could also result in Mainers losing coverage, critics warned. The Maine Center for Economic Policy found in a September report that around 29,000 Mainers could lose MaineCare coverage as a result.
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