What A Day - Timing Is Everything For Maine's Troy Jackson

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

On today's show, Jane talks with Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson about what he thinks it will take for him to beat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s midterms.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please email [e-mail]

If you can't afford your rent, if you can't afford your health insurance, it's pretty hard for you to think about anything else. And until we start talking about those issues, you know, more often, you know, we're going to continue to bleed voters. And that's something that I've understood all my life. That's what made me want to be a Democrat. The Republicans offer nothing for a working class family. They never have and they never will. It's Wednesday, September 2nd. I'm Jane Koston, and this is Wadaday. Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey won his primary last night. And today, I'm talking with

Maine Democratic Senate candidate, Troy Jackson, about what it will take for him to join Ed in D.C. Troy Jackson, welcome to Waday. Hey, sounds good. I'm really excited to be here. So you had a town hall in Lewiston last night. What did you hear from voters? What are they saying to you in these moments. You know, it's what I expected, but, you know, they're talking about how healthcare is getting out of reach, housing's getting out of reach. I mean, you know, just the cost of everything is really challenging them, but you also heard,

you know, about flock cameras, about, you know, data centers, AI. I mean, you know, people wanting to know why I wasn't going harder on Senator Collins. I mean, it was all, ICE was another big thing, obviously. in Lewiston. And, you know, in the end, too, there's someone that asked me about, you know, why are you saying that, you know, this is our movement, which was, you know, great question for me. I mean, because I've been saying all along that this campaign is way bigger than Troy Jackson. You know, it's about people that know fundamentally the government is not working for them

and they want to change. And I'm just excited about being part of that because I've been waiting a long time for that. What did people ask about flock cameras? I'm interested. That's something that we've been hearing about a lot lately. I think they just want to know, you know, what my stand was on them. In that crowd, they don't want them.

So they wanted to hear, you know, what I was thinking about, that, you know, that it was invasion of privacy, that we don't know, you know, what a lot of times the data is being used for, what they're trying to do with it. And, you know, and people don't want them. And I feel the same way. I had actually done a little video about them like two months ago. So that's pretty much what they were asking. So I wanted to talk because you're from Northern Orozhtick County that, you know,

right on the border with Canada. Trump's been fighting this trade war nonsense with Canada. What are voters saying to you about this? Yeah. Well, up in the Roostert County. They're telling me that this is, this has become a real problem for them. I mean, you know, being on the border, you know,

we depend on cross-border shopping. You know, I mean, our, our communities in the United States here in St. John Valley depend on the Canadians coming over. That is kind of gone. They're not coming. We're losing the tourism that they provide. But for the forest products industry, especially in Northern Maine, a lot of the lumber goes into Canada.

So that's become a challenge. A lot of our pirates come out of there. Same thing with the fishing industry. I mean, they exempted lobster, but people still have a lot of boats and pirates. And the same thing with fishing, excuse me, farming, blueberries go into Canada. All these things have become a real challenge for people that, you let know that Canadians have in the past been, you know, great trading partners, great neighbors. and these blanket tariffs are really hurting them. I wanted to actually ask you about your labor past.

I was reading about you helped to lead a blockade of Canadian lumber workers from crossing the border back in 1998 to take a stand on behalf of your colleagues in the lumber industry. Trump has made a big show of getting a lot of support from labor, from organized labor. He even got the head of the Teamsters to speak at the Republican National Convention back in 2024. for what did you think when you saw that when you see the head of the teamster speaking at the Republican National Convention and you see what Trump has done to labor over the last year and a half two years yeah well I mean I'm not really sure what um you know was going on there I mean I actually listened to that you know he didn't he didn't actually agree with Trump or anything like that but I mean I'm not sure what he was trying to do because it's clear that Trump is

anti-lavery always has been and you know is against working-class people i think most of us understand very very well that this is uh you know about the billionaire class uh getting a break uh susan collins has been voting with trump nine six percent of the time she goes ahead and gives them tax breaks while our health care system here in maine is uh crashing and um and so i mean most of us and labor understand very well that this is what they do. They try and divide working class people so that they can get what they want while the rest of us get left behind. And right now, more than ever, people know that they're being left behind. And I think Trump and Susan Collins and the rest of them are going to be very upset come November because it's going to catch back up with them.

How do you think Democrats? I mean, you've got a union past. You've been working on behalf of unions for a really long time, but how do you think Democrats nationally should be talking about labor and should be working to help support unions? Well, I think Democrats nationally, and in this state, too, need to be talking about economic issues. I mean, I think that's what drives people, you know, makes, I mean, if you can afford your rent, if you can't afford your health insurance, it's pretty hard for you to think about anything else. And until, We start talking about those issues more often. We're going to continue to bleed voters.

And that's something that I've understood all my life. That's what made me want to be a Democrat. The Republicans offer nothing for a working class family. They never have and they never will. But they are willing to talk about issues, lie about issues, and try and convince people that they are there for them. I mean, Trump was a perfect example, this last election. you know, talking about affordability, talking about eggs, talking about, you know, trying to make people's lives better.

And what did you do as soon as you get in there? He gave the biggest tax cut in the history of this country to the 1% on the backs of everyday people. We just got to get back to understanding that, you know, if you can make people's lives easier economically, they can, you know, think about other issues, too. but until you help people in that regard with their health care, with whatever, it's going to be really, really hard to reach them. And they'll be subject to having somebody lied to him like Donald Trump. We'll get back to my conversation with Troy Jackson in just a moment. This episode is sponsored by Better Help.

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Again, that's wildgrain.com slash wad for $30 off your first box and free croissants for life or use promo code Wad at checkout. Let's get back to my conversation with Troy Jackson. I want to talk about Susan Collins. I know she is spending millions of dollars putting ads on the airwaves across Maine to talk about everything she's done for Maine. What is she not telling voters?

Well, she's not telling voters that she could have blocked a big beautiful bill. You know, she likes to act like she, you know, voted against it. She did vote against it. When the votes, when she knew that they had the vote surpass it, she could have stopped it from coming out of committee. I mean, look, I was the center president for six years. I pointed to two appropriations chairs. I know what an appropriation chair can do.

And she's acting on one hand, she acts like she's the most powerful U.S. center in the country. On the other hand, she acts like, well, nothing I could do. I voted against it. That is absolutely crap. And, you know, that's the biggest thing is that she gave those tax breaks. to billionaires, to failed trillionaires like Elon Musk. And she did it on the backs of health care.

You know, we are going to see massive cuts to Medicaid in the state, in a state that's older. We're seeing our health care system crash, birthing centers close, hospitals closed, nursing homes closed, and people lose their subsidies, so they're losing their health insurance. All these things are going to, you know, crush the economy and the health care system in the state, and most likely across the country. She also doesn't tell people how she could block the tariffs. She could block the Iran War. I mean, she has the power of the purse and she's not willing to do that.

And she also lying to people about the fact that she put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court and owned damn well that he was going to overturn Roe versus Wade. And these are all things that you can't hide around by saying, well, I brought some money into the state. I mean, the money that we lost and that big beautiful bill, she talks about this rural health care transition fund that she, she got. It's 4% of what we're going to lose in health care across this state. And so she's losing more money for this state than she's actually bringing in. And I'm tired of hearing somebody talk about how strong and powerful she is, but how weak she actually is when it comes to Donald Trump and his agenda. So I wanted to actually go back because thinking about Susan Collins, I think that the last time she ran, there was a sense of like, okay, this is the time. This is the

time. This is the time Democrats can take her down and it didn't work. What do you think has made her seemingly seem so invulnerable in the state of Maine? And why are you the right person to beat her this time? Well, I mean, I think timing is everything. I mean, six years later, people know about Kavanaugh and Roe versus Wade. You know, she just said that she doesn't regret that vote, knowing that he was the deciding vote to overturn Roe versus Wade. You know, while she was doing that in Maine, I was actually strengthening reproductive rights. I mean, I passed one of the most progressive co-sponsored, one of the most progressive reproductive rights bills in the country. I made sure that low-income women had access to abortion care through Maine care.

You know, Collins has been the reason why we've lost reproductive care. in many, many states across the country. I've been, along with others, I've been a reason why we have really good reproductive rights care here in Maine. Also, I mean, I've been a lifetime person for fighting for Maine families. I've passed universal school meals here.

I mean, I fought for, you know, nursing homes. I fought for a health care system. I mean, fought against big pharma. I mean, I got a record, too, and I'm proud of my record, and I'll fight and talk about it. She's not willing to come to a town hall. She's not willing to talk about her record. I mean, she's running around with Elon Musk,

and I spend all kinds of money going after me personally and going after my family personally. Because, I mean, I wouldn't try and defend that record either here in Maine. And the other thing about that is, you know, in the last three presidential elections, when she was on the ballot also, I was on the ballot in a rural area. and I want also in the Trump districts being exactly who I am,

not a fake politician like Susan Collins. And six years ago, they tried to attack Sarah Gideon about the fact that she was southern Maine liberal. I'm further north than Susan Collins. And, you know, you can call me whatever you want. But what you can't say is I haven't been fighting for Mainers and now she's fighting for billionaires in the Epstein class. I did want to, you mentioned how Susan Collins has been going after you personally, going after your family.

This race has gotten, it's been so contentious. It's getting so much attention. How are you cutting through the noise when you're talking to voters who are, I'm sure, inundated with all of this all the time? Yeah, well, I mean, I'm obviously not going to be able to outspend Elon Musk and, you know, her crew there. But, you know, that's why we're doing town halls. That's why we get out and do. events. That's why we, um, you know, talk people and you know, you certainly can, you know, see our things, our events coming up and stuff like that at Jackson for Maine.com. But I think the biggest thing is that I'm talking about the issues that are affecting Mainers. I mean, that is what I've always done. And that's what I, you know, asked Susan to do. I mean, last night we had our first town hall. I invited her to it. I've been

trying to get the debates to be town hall style also. Um, you know, I feel very strong. strongly that everyday people should have access to their elected officials. And she's not willing to do that. But, you know, in the end, you know, we're going to win because we're talking about how we can actually make people's lives better as opposed to, I mean, I'm not criticizing Susan Collins and her family and stuff. And there's a lot of there that I could criticize on. But that's not my job as elected official. My job is to fight for everyday manors to get a government that they deserve. And that's what I'm going to continue to do. I wanted to ask one last question, because it is about that kind of national media environment that's feeding on everything. I know that there's been a lot of

talk about a leftist streamer, Hassan Piker. Have you ever spoken with him? No, I honestly, I've never. I actually don't know a lot about him either. Yeah, I kind of guessed. Is that kind of drama, the kind of national media speculation? Is that just stupid? Well, I mean, again, not knowing Emory or anything like that. I think it is. I mean, you know, for me, this race is about Maine. I mean, I have ideas about what's going on across the country and stuff like that.

But, I mean, I'm focused on this state because that's where I've been working my entire life over the last 20 years in the Maine legislature. And for this race, trying to make Mainers lives better. Now, do I think that universal health care across? this country is needed, absolutely. I mean, I'd like to see families across the United States be doing better. But right now, I mean, my focus is on Maine and I don't get caught up in too much in what's happening outside of here. Troy Jackson, thank you so much for joining me. No problem. I really appreciate it. What a day. What a day. That was my conversation with Troy Jackson, Maine Democratic Senate candidate. Before we go, we are

so excited to announce the launch of Crooked's newest series, Still Counting. Hosted by our friends Nate Silver, Galen Drook, and Claire Malone, and you might remember them as the excellent data journalist behind 538. And with the midterms just a few months away, it's time to get them back on the air. Each Wednesday evening, Nate, Claire, and Galen will dig into the latest in politics in polling to break down what's happening, why, and what we can reasonably infer about what might happen next. Subscribe to Still Counting wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube at Still Counting Podcasts. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review.

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