Will Maine voters hold Susan Collins accountable?

The abortion rights movement’s biggest test of 2026.

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September 23, 2026 10:30am EDT

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Abortion was a major issue in the 2022 midterms, which took place just months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. This year, not so much, with both parties prioritizing other policy topics — health care, affordability, ICE, data centers — in their messaging and ads. But abortion rights activists haven’t forgotten, and they’re hoping to prove their continued relevance in one race in particular: Maine’s Senate contest, where Susan Collins is facing a tough re-election fight against Democrat Troy Jackson and her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh is a major topic. But the race is complicated, writes Vox’s Rachel Cohen Booth. For one, Collins has long identified as pro-choice and voted accordingly on legislation, while Jackson used to support major restrictions on abortion before adopting a more typical Democratic position later on.

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—Benjy Sarlin, senior editor, politics, policy, and ideas