Abortion-focused advertising has become one of the largest issue campaigns in Maine’s U.S. Senate race, even as affordability and health care continue to lead many voters’ concerns. As of Sept. 16, Democratic advertisers had devoted about 15% of $40.8 million in broadcast television and streaming spending to abortion rights, according to an AdImpact analysis.
The spending targets Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, and supports Democrat Troy Jackson, a former Maine Senate president. Collins has long described herself as supporting abortion rights but faces sustained criticism for her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined the 2022 majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Collins called the Dobbs ruling ill-considered and has also cited votes against other abortion restrictions.
Jackson’s record is complicated in a different direction. Earlier in his legislative career, he opposed abortion rights, but he later renounced those positions and has received strong ratings from abortion-rights organizations. He became the Democratic nominee in July after Graham Platner withdrew and party delegates selected Jackson at a special convention. Reuters reported that Jackson entered a compressed 101-day general-election campaign against a well-funded incumbent.
The policy context differs from many states because Maine law continues to protect broad access. The state’s abortion statute permits the procedure before viability and afterward when a licensed physician determines it is necessary based on professional judgment. That state protection explains Collins’ argument that Dobbs did not directly reduce access inside Maine. Her opponents respond that federal judicial appointments and possible national legislation still affect Mainers.
Polling shows a close contest, but no single survey should be treated as a forecast. The current polling average places Jackson narrowly ahead, while individual surveys remain within margins that leave either candidate capable of winning. Collins has repeatedly outperformed pre-election polling, including in 2020.
The advertising strategy therefore serves two purposes. It may motivate voters who support abortion rights but are not enthusiastic about Jackson, and it may try to persuade older women who previously supported Collins. Collins’ campaign, meanwhile, emphasizes her mixed voting record, seniority and ability to direct federal resources to Maine.
The scale of the abortion messaging should not be confused with a finding that it is voters’ top concern. Issue rankings cited in the current analysis put affordability, health care and jobs ahead of it for many Mainers. Campaigns are investing because an issue can influence turnout or perceptions of a candidate’s judgment even when relatively few voters name it first.
Voters should distinguish campaign claims from the current legal baseline. Maine’s statute remains in force, and neither candidate can change it through a U.S. Senate vote alone. The federal stakes concern judges, nationwide legislation, Medicaid and reproductive-health funding, while the state stakes concern whether the issue changes turnout in a race that could help determine control of the Senate.
