Jackson doesn’t regret telling Collins to ‘shut up’ after protester interrupted Maine Senate debate

Associated Press

Jackson doesn’t regret telling Collins to ‘shut up’ after protester interrupted Maine Senate debate

Associated Press
3 min read

Election 2026 Portland Senate Maine
Troy Jackson (D) directs a question to Sen. Susan Collins (R) during the final Maine U.S. Senate debate in Bangor, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Gregory A. Rec/Portland Press Herald via AP, Pool) (Gregory A. Rec/Pool Portland Press Herald via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine Democrat Troy Jackson says he does not regret telling Sen. Susan Collins that she should “shut up” after the Republican suggested a protester who interrupted their recent debate was one of his campaign’s backers.

“She said that it was a Troy supporter. She accused me of setting that up. I had no idea who it was,” said Jackson, a former president of the state Senate who is trying to deny Collins, the longest-serving Republican woman in Senate history, a sixth-term. He spoke in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that aired Sunday.

During their final debate Thursday night in the closely contested race, as the Nov. 3 election nears a protester opposing data centers began yelling as Collins spoke. While moderators asked for that person to be removed, the senator said the demonstrator was “obviously one of Troy’s supporters.”

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