{"id":46769,"date":"2026-08-15T14:27:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T09:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=46769"},"modified":"2026-08-15T14:27:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T09:27:40","slug":"susan-collins-drops-brutal-reminder-of-maine-dem-rival-rocked-by-assault-accusations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=46769","title":{"rendered":"Susan Collins drops brutal reminder of Maine Dem rival rocked by assault accusations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2F137477849.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Republican Sen. Susan Collins says her Democratic challenger in Maine\u2019s high-stakes\u00a0US Senate race\u00a0apparently \u201cstruggles to control his temper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Collins broke her silence about Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson on Friday after a newly resurfaced 1988 police record <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/13\/us-news\/maine-democrat-troy-jackson-attacked-romantic-rival-pushed-around-girlfriend-in-1988-police-report\/\">detailed accusations that Jackson assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation<\/a> in Fort Kent, Maine.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson, a one-time logger and a former state Senate president, was <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/25\/us-news\/who-is-troy-jackson-maines-swap-in-for-graham-platner-in-senate-race\/\">chosen a couple of weeks ago by Maine Democrats to replace embattled oysterman\u00a0Graham Platner<\/a>, who won the June Democratic Senate nomination in a landslide before imploding and dropping out of the race last month amid rape allegations that he denied.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson is challenging Collins in a crucial race that\u2019s among a dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority.<\/p>\n<p>Asked by Fox News Digital about recent reports regarding Jackson, Collins said, \u201cHe\u2019s the one that needs to respond to the reports. I\u2019m not going to comment on them. But I will say that, based on widespread reporting, it appears that he struggles to control his temper.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Republican Sen. Susan Collins says her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, in Maine\u2019s US Senate race apparently \u201cstruggles to control his temper.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Fox News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Collins spoke with reporters after kicking off a statewide bus tour on Friday in Kittery, Maine. The longtime senator is the only GOP incumbent running for re-election in a state President Trump\u00a0lost in the 2024 election.<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0Fox News poll in Maine\u00a0released on Wednesday indicated Jackson holding a slight two-point edge over Collins, which was within the survey\u2019s sampling error.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2026\/08\/12\/mainefocus\/mainefocus-government\/troy-jackson-punched-man-pushed-partner-police-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bangor Daily News<\/a>\u00a0reported this week that the police report accused Jackson of assaulting another man during a late-night brawl on March 12, 1988.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jackson is accused of assaulting a man and pushing his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation. <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The brawl was over Jackson\u2019s longtime partner Lana Pelletier, who, according to records, is also\u00a0his second cousin. Jackson and Pelletier share two adult children.<\/p>\n<p>The police report indicates that Pelletier told officers at the time that Jackson \u201cpushed her around,\u201d a statement she now denies making.<\/p>\n<p>According to the report, the then-19-year-old Jackson went to a home in Fort Kent, Maine, around 2 a.m.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Collins greets supporters outside the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine, Aug. 14, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After the occupant of the house told Jackson to go away, the report says the future state lawmaker \u201ckicked the door in\u201d and grabbed his rival by the throat before punching him in the face, causing the victim\u2019s glasses to leave a cut. The report added that a friend broke up the ensuing fight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTroy Jackson is Graham Platner 2.0: Violent and unhinged,\u201d the\u00a0Republican National Committee\u00a0charged in a social media post after the initial report went viral.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, referring to Senate Democratic Leader Sen.\u00a0Chuck Schumer\u00a0and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, wrote on X, \u201cIs this incredibly disturbing report of violence and abuse not enough for you to drop Troy Jackson?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jackson was chosen by Maine Democrats to replace embattled oysterman\u00a0Graham Platner in the Senate race. <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Robert F. Bukaty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jackson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, \u201cNearly forty years ago, when I was 19 years old, I got into a fight with another man. I took responsibility for it then, and I take responsibility for it now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut let me be clear: I have never been violent with my partner Lana, or any other woman. This happened nearly four decades ago, and I assure Mainers this incident in no way reflects the man I am today or the life I\u2019ve led in the years since,\u201d the Democratic Senate nominee added.<\/p>\n<p>Pelletier told Fox News Digital in a statement, \u201cI do not remember making the statements attributed to me and they are not accurate. This is the first time I have seen this report from 40 years ago. Troy and I have built a life and family together and I know the person he has been through the decades since, both as a caring partner and father.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jackson during a campaign stop at American Roots apparel manufacturing facility in Westbrook, Maine, Aug. 14, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI understand Maine voters want to learn about Troy as he seeks to represent them but personal attacks on my family are unacceptable,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the 40 years since he made a mistake as a 19-year-old kid, Troy has grown to be a passionate advocate for Mainers and dedicated his life to making things better for our state while Susan Collins has been in Washington enriching herself at our expense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Jackson campaign told Fox News Digital that Troy \u201cacknowledges going to the residence and getting into a physical confrontation with another man. The case was resolved with a $50 fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>On Thursday, the conservative-leaning\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themainewire.com\/2026\/08\/allagash-man-says-he-witnessed-troy-jackson-strike-longtime-partner-adding-new-allegation-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maine Wire<\/a>\u00a0reported that a man from Allagash, Maine, who says he\u2019s known Jackson for decades alleged that he witnessed Jackson strike Pelletier in a separate incident years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson, who hails from the remote\u00a0northern tip of Maine, is a <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/12\/us-news\/maine-senate-swap-in-troy-jackson-once-joked-i-wouldve-ran-as-a-communist\/\">one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As he quickly became the frontrunner in the abbreviated race to replace Platner, he faced a slew of reports over his alleged temper and workplace conduct, as well as reported claims of mortgage improprieties and other\u00a0potential liabilities,\u00a0including his past strict anti-abortion stance.<\/p>\n<p>Asked by\u00a0Fox News Digital\u00a0last month about any vetting concerns, Jackson said, \u201cI think a lot of this obviously is Sen. Collins trying to make sure she can win the election on a really bad record. But, for me, I\u2019ve been in the legislature for 20 years. I do believe I\u2019ve been vetted, I\u2019ve been tested. People know exactly what I\u2019m fighting for. I have their back. And they know they can trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The scrutiny and negative reports are raising concerns by some in the party that Democrats landed another unvetted nominee after <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/08\/us-news\/graham-platner-drops-out-of-maine-senate-race-after-rape-claim\/\">the\u00a0Platner implosion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a bit of a rocket vetting process,\u201d a Democratic strategist who works on Senate races who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. \u201cMaine Democrats have made their choice, and they\u2019re just going to have to ride with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asked about the Democrats\u2019 vetting of Jackson, Collins told reporters on Friday, \u201cFrom my perspective, it seems that vetting is very important. We learned the failure of vetting with Graham Platner. But that\u2019s really up to the Democrats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NRSC, in a series of social media posts directed at Democratic senators and Senate nominees who have endorsed Jackson since he landed the nomination, asked if those politicians will \u201ccall on Troy Jackson to drop out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackson, who <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/14\/opinion\/maine-socialists-boost-another-he-man-fake-after-graham-platner\/\">unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination<\/a>,\u00a0campaigned alongside Platner\u00a0during the primary. And he quickly made the case that he was the best equipped candidate to grab the mantle of the progressive and populist movement that had backed Platner.<\/p>\n<p>Similar to Platner, Jackson is running on a platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as \u201cMedicare-for-all,\u201d and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).<\/p>\n<p>He also opposes military aid to Israel as Democrats are increasingly divided over support for America\u2019s longtime Middle East ally.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican Sen. Susan Collins says her Democratic challenger in Maine\u2019s high-stakes\u00a0US Senate race\u00a0apparently \u201cstruggles to control his temper.\u201d Collins broke her silence about Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson on Friday after a newly resurfaced 1988 police record detailed accusations that Jackson assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation in Fort&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/137477849.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}