Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson doubled down on his confrontational debate moment, saying he has no regrets about telling Republican Sen. Susan Collins to “shut up” after she accused him of orchestrating a disruption by a protester.
In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, host Dana Bash pressed Jackson on the exchange, which occurred when an anti-data center activist interrupted a recent debate. Collins immediately speculated the heckler was a Jackson plant, prompting Jackson's sharp retort.
“No, you know she said that it was a Troy supporter. I mean, she accused me of setting that up. I had no idea who it was,” Jackson said. “I was surprised whenever he jumped up out of there.”
Jackson framed his reaction as a refusal to be disrespected by Collins, noting that despite four prior debates, he drew the line at being falsely accused. “I’ve had four debates with Senator Collins. I shook her hand afterwards every time. But what I’m not going to be is, you know, talked down to by Senator Collins,” he said. “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 and I’m not going to apologize for that.”
The protester later told the New York Times he had “zero coordination” with Jackson’s campaign and did not know the candidate personally, though he expressed support for Jackson’s bid. Collins, however, used the incident to paint Jackson as disrespectful, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity that his “shut up” response was “reflective” of his behavior toward women in the state legislature.
Jackson dismissed that characterization, attributing it to GOP attacks. “Some Republicans have been spending millions of dollars attacking me and my family, making untrue claims, things that they had to take off the air, and so it doesn’t surprise me that some Republicans would be making any claims,” he said.
The Maine race is a top Democratic target in their push to flip the Senate. Recent polling shows Jackson and Collins statistically tied, with Jackson holding a razor-thin edge within the margin of error. The contest has drawn national attention, with Republicans increasingly relying on Collins to hold their narrow majority. Meanwhile, Democrats have capitalized on fundraising momentum, as record hauls and GOP counterattacks underscore the stakes.
Collins, a moderate Republican, has faced backlash from the right for votes on Trump nominees, including her support for RFK Jr. and her failed opposition to Hegseth, as detailed in recent debate exchanges. Jackson’s campaign hopes to leverage such divisions, but the “shut up” moment risks alienating undecided voters, particularly women, in a state known for civility.
Political analysts suggest the incident could galvanize both bases. With Democrats showing strength in other Senate races, Maine remains a critical battleground. Jackson, however, remains defiant, insisting his tone reflects his fight for working families. “I’m not going to apologize for standing up to someone who is not telling the truth about me,” he said.
