Poll shows Democrat Troy Jackson ahead of Collins in Maine

A new poll shows Democratic candidate Troy Jackson leading incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine's pivotal U.S. Senate race, signaling a potentially fierce general election battle for a seat crucial to the balance of power in Washington. The University of New Hampshire survey, conducted from July 15 to July 20, found Jackson with 49 percent support among likely voters compared to 46 percent for Collins, with a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and logger, is widely expected to formally secure the Democratic nomination at the party's state convention on Saturday, July 25. He enters that convention as the clear frontrunner after securing the support of a substantial majority of delegates selected during recent county caucuses. His candidacy follows the abrupt withdrawal of the previous Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, who exited the race earlier this month after a sexual assault allegation, which he denied.

The poll reveals a significant shift in a race once considered safer for the incumbent. Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, now faces her toughest reelection fight in nearly three decades, according to...