A Republican political group that supports Maine Sen. Susan Collins’ re‑election inadvertently placed a television ad buy in the wrong state, spending almost $25,000 on spots that aired in Portland, Oregon rather than Portland, Maine.
Ad buy intended to target Maine voters
The ad, produced by the Defending Main Street SuperPAC Inc., was meant to criticize Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson with the tagline “taxin’ Troy Jackson.” The Super PAC is affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership, a centrist‑leaning GOP organization.
How the mistake was discovered
Sarah Chamberlain, president and CEO of the Main Street Partnership, said she was “absolutely furious” when the error was uncovered. “It’s down now and they’re running it in Portland, Maine. It has nothing to do with us. I would never run an ad in Portland, Oregon, for Susan Collins, for Christ’s sake,” Chamberlain told reporters.
After learning of the misplacement, the ad buyer, Cross Screen Media, pulled the spots from Oregon and refunded the nearly $25,000 to the Super PAC.
Impact on the Collins campaign
While the mix‑up cost the campaign a modest sum, officials emphasized that the error will not affect the overall advertising strategy. The campaign continues to focus its messaging on Maine voters, highlighting Collins’ record and contrasting it with Jackson’s tax proposals.
“The buyers made a mistake on one of the placements,” Chamberlain added. “We’ve corrected it and are moving forward with our Maine‑focused outreach.”
Broader context
Ad buys of this size are common in Senate races, where both parties invest heavily in television and digital outreach. The incident underscores the importance of precise media‑placement tools, especially when targeting specific markets across the country.
Political observers note that such errors, while embarrassing, rarely alter the trajectory of a campaign, particularly when the candidate enjoys strong name recognition and an established voter base, as is the case with Sen. Collins.
What’s next for the Collins campaign
Sen. Collins’ campaign will continue to run ads in key Maine markets, focusing on her bipartisan record and opposition to what they describe as Jackson’s “tax‑and‑spend” agenda. The team also plans to increase grassroots outreach in the coming weeks as the election draws nearer.
For Maine voters, the incident serves as a reminder that political advertising can sometimes go awry, but campaign teams remain vigilant in correcting mistakes and keeping the message on target.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
