Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine

AUGUSTA: Democratic candidate Troy Jackson has defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins in the US state of Maine. The news agency AP and the American broadcaster CBS News projected his win at about 10:45am Pakistan time.

Susan Collins had represented Maine in the US Senate since 1997. She was regarded as a moderate voice in the Republican Party. In several previous elections, she had held her seat against the national trend. Her defeat is therefore being counted among the most important results of this election.

Who is Troy Jackson

Troy Jackson comes from northern Maine. He has worked as a logger and has served as president of the state Senate. He made the problems of workers and rural areas the centre of his campaign.

Tariffs a major issue

According to a CBS News exit poll, 69 per cent of voters in Maine said that import tariffs had hurt their local economy. Experts said the issue influenced voters’ decision.

National results

According to projections, apart from Maine, the Democrats have also taken Senate seats from the Republicans in Texas, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. They are about to take control of both houses of Congress. Results from Alaska, Mississippi and Nebraska are still awaited.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Arn Leyburn (CC0)