Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson meet Thursday night for their second televised debate in three days as Maine’s closely watched Senate race enters its final month.
The hour-long debate will be hosted by WMTW and moderated by anchor Jon Chrisos. It will air live on Channel 8 and stream online through WMTW, YouTube, Very Local and partner stations around the state.
Maine U.S. Senate Debate
Date: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
Candidates: Susan Collins (R) and Troy Jackson (D)
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Length: One hour
Host: WMTW
Moderator: Jon Chrisos
Broadcast: WMTW Channel 8
Streaming: WMTW.com, WMTW YouTube, Very Local, WABI and WAGM
Live Stream: Watch Below
Watch Live – Maine Senate Debate
The Maine Senate debate between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson begins at 8 p.m. ET. The live video will be added below as soon as an embeddable stream becomes available.
Live Stream Coming Soon
The Maine Senate debate begins at 8 p.m. ET. The live video will be added here when an embeddable stream becomes available.
Alternate Stream Link: WMTW
Thursday night’s event is the second of four debates scheduled between Collins and Jackson during October. The two candidates first faced off Tuesday night in a fast-moving debate focused on abortion, immigration, health care, trade and President Donald Trump. Collins repeatedly emphasized her independence from Trump, while Jackson tried to tie her record in Washington to the president and the Republican Party. The Associated Press described the first debate as a sharp clash over Collins’ voting record and the direction of the country.
Collins is seeking a sixth term after serving in the Senate since 1997, while Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and logger from Aroostook County, is trying to flip the seat for Democrats.
Maine has become one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2026 campaign, with control of the chamber potentially hanging on a small number of competitive states. Recent polling has shown a close contest, giving both campaigns reason to put unusual emphasis on a compressed series of four October debates.
Thursday night’s event is the second of four debates scheduled between Collins and Jackson during October. The two candidates first faced off Tuesday night in a fast-moving debate focused on abortion, immigration, health care, trade and President Donald Trump.
Collins-Jackson Debate Schedule
- Oct. 6: WGME debate, already held. Watch the full Oct. 6 debate on YouTube.
- Oct. 8: WMTW debate at 8 p.m. ET, streaming on WMTW.com, YouTube and participating stations.
- Oct. 13: WABI/WAGM debate at 7 p.m. ET.
- Oct. 15: NEWS CENTER Maine, Maine Public and Portland Press Herald debate at 8 p.m. ET in Bangor.
Collins is seeking a sixth term after serving in the Senate since 1997, while Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and logger from Aroostook County, is trying to flip the seat for Democrats.
Watch the Maine Senate debate live in the player above beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Follow the latest numbers on our 2026 Senate polls page and visit our 2026 Senate elections guide for more races around the country.