In a brief interview with Politico, Sen. Susan Collins (R‑Maine) was asked whether the personal history of her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, would become a campaign issue. Jackson, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has been reported to have fathered two children with his second cousin, a fact first reported by The Maine Wire in July.
Collins responded, “Well, I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin. I don’t know whether people know that or not.” When the reporter pressed, “But you just mentioned it,” Collins kept her tone measured, allowing the moment to speak for itself.
Conservative reaction
The clip quickly went viral on social media, drawing praise from Maine Republicans and national conservatives. GOP operative Jesse Hunt called Collins a “silent killer,” while Politico editor Mike DeBonis described her as “stone‑cold” in a two‑minute precis of the exchange. NRA public affairs director and Maine native Justin Davis predicted the upcoming debates would be “gold” for the Republican ticket.
Other commentators noted Collins’ tactic mirrored a strategy used by former President Trump—raising an issue while appearing to downplay it. “Count Collins out (like everyone did in ‘20) at your own peril,” wrote Targeted Victory CCO Matt Gorman on X. GOP communicator Steve Guest added, “Susan Collins from the top rope on Troy Jackson.”
Background on the Jackson controversy
The relationship between Jackson and his partner, who share the same great‑grandparents, first surfaced in a July report by The Maine Wire. In addition to the family connection, a 1988 police report alleges Jackson assaulted a man at a bar and that his partner accused him of pushing her around. Jackson has not disputed the bar incident but strongly denies any physical abuse of his partner, who says she never gave a formal statement to police.
When asked about the police report in August, Collins told Fox News Digital, “He’s the one that needs to respond to the reports. I’m not going to comment on them. But I will say that based on widespread reporting it appears that he struggles to control his temper… From my perspective, it seems that vetting is very important. We learned the failure of vetting with Graham Platner. But that’s really up to the Democrats.” Collins emphasized that Jackson’s long political record provides ample material for scrutiny, unlike former candidate Graham Platner, who entered the race with little public history.
Jackson’s campaign pushes back
Jackson’s team framed the Republican focus on his personal life as a distraction from substantive issues Mainers care about. “Susan Collins will do anything to distract from the fact that she votes with Trump 96% of the time and has sold out working people in Maine,” the campaign told Fox News Digital. “Personal attacks on Troy’s family are shameful and desperate.” The Jackson campaign declined to comment further when contacted for this story.
As the Senate race heads toward the fall debates, both campaigns are sharpening their messages. Collins’ measured yet pointed response has energized the state’s Republican base, while Jackson’s camp continues to argue that the focus on family matters diverts attention from policy debates on jobs, energy, and the economy.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
