‘Not exactly his favorite senator’: Susan Collins distances herself from Trump in Maine debate

The Guardian · The Independent and The Independent report that Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins used her first debate against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson to put distance between herself and President Donald Trump. The race matters because Democrats are targeting the seat as part of their effort to take control of the Senate, and Maine has not backed Trump in any of his three campaigns.

Collins said she is "not exactly his favorite senator," and predicted he would not campaign in the state. She said she opposes the Iran war and the tariffs on Canada, and claimed she votes against her party more than any other senator. The Guardian adds that she said she voted with Joe Biden more than 90% of the time, while Jackson put her record of siding with Trump at 96%.

Jackson, 58, a former state legislator, centered his attack on Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, tied to the later end of Roe v Wade. The Guardian notes he is the stand-in for Graham Platner, who left the race in July amid sexual assault allegations he denied.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian · The Independent and The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian · The Independent → Also at The Independent →