WASHINGTON, D.C. — Praise is pouring in for Susan Collins after her first debate with Troy Jackson on Tuesday. Collins spent the night touting her record of delivering $1.5 billion for projects in all of Maine’s 16 counties, while Jackson was stuck on defense and clearly unprepared.
Ahead of their second matchup tonight, catch up on the reviews from night one:
Shermichael Singleton, CNN: “I think it went well for Susan Collins. She pointed out this guy was the president of the Senate in Maine, a third of the legislation he attempted to pass couldn’t even make it out of committee. To her point, if you can’t even get your own Democratic colleagues to vote for you, how in the world are you going to deliver for Maine residents in a divided Senate? How is that possible? This guy has a track record that doesn’t showcase one of success but one of failures, as opposed to Susan Collins who [is] independent, maybe not on like all of her policies, but she has a track record of working across the aisle…”
Ameshia Cross, CNN: “There was a lack of preparation there… he had to know that some of these instances were going to be brought up and he was caught flat footed.”
Luisa Clausen, Punchbowl News: “No one is better prepared than Susan Collins. She knows her issues better than you, and she knows your issues better than you. Her polish and decades on the national stage showed. When Jackson messed up the details of the bipartisan housing bill, Collins pounced. Same with a flub on Medicaid vs. Medicare.”
Steve Robinson, Maine Wire: “Fact-checkers are gonna be brutal on @TroyJackson207 to the extent he can speak in full sentences. Blaming Maine’s electricity prices on natural gas costs is wild when the Public Advocate has said the Democrat Solar Tax costs Mainers $220M per year.”
Kevin Miller, Maine Public: “But Tuesday’s debate was the first real test for Jackson, a progressive known for giving rousing speeches but who has sometimes struggled with his delivery in other settings. Collins, by comparison, is a veteran campaigner and debater known in DC for her ability to dive deep on policy issues.”
Sahil Kapur and Bridget Bowman, NBC News: “She also sought to localize the race and pitch her seniority — and her perch as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee — as a boost to Maine. She touted $1.5 billion in federal funds that she has brought home to the state for 672 projects in the last five years, ‘from Madawaksa to Kittery, from Eastport to Rumford.’”
Hugh Cameron, Newsweek: “And the Democratic political strategist and lobbyist Denny Salas praised Collins’s ability to tout her bipartisanship and legislative effectiveness. ‘She knows she’s experienced; she’s worked across the aisle. She knows exactly how to attack a lot of these folks because she can actually legitimately stand up there as a bipartisan senator that’s gotten a ton done for the state of Maine because she knows how to work across the aisle,’“
Ryan King, New York Post: “Jackson was often seen glancing at those notes during key moments, such as his opening statement and issues that were likely anticipated… At times, he also ruffled through pages in his binder.”
Ariana St Pierre, WGME: “The candidates sharply disagreed on whether voters should be required to show identification at the polls. ‘No, as a working logger, many times I went to the polls without my ID. No,’ Jackson said. ‘Yes. Only Americans should vote in American elections. I don’t think that’s too much to ask when you go to register to vote,’ Collins said.”
Randy Billings, Portland Press Herald: “Jackson was aggressive. Collins was knowledgeable. Throughout the debate, Collins displayed her experience and knowledge of federal policies. She repeatedly called out Jackson for suggesting her committee had authority over things it does not, such as Medicaid rates.”
Carlos Garcia, The Blaze: “Susan Collins brilliantly shuts down attacks from Troy Jackson in heated Maine debate.”
Alex Seitz-Wald, Midcoast Villager: “Susan Collins showed why you can never count her out, even when the closing music starts playing.”
Dustin Grage, Townhall: “That’s it, I’ve seen enough. Six more years of Susan Collins.”
Carine Hajjar, Washington Post Opinion: “This is going to be Jackson’s biggest challenge. Platner could run a pie-in-the-sky campaign because he didn’t have a record. Jackson is a known quantity with years in office.”
Peter Hasson, Washington Free Beacon: “Lowkey embarrassing how much Troy Jackson is relying on his notes in this Maine Senate debate.”
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