Early voting in Massachusetts started Oct. 17. As a citizen in Massachusetts, you can vote at the Town Hall now. But all of last week, I spent knocking on doors in Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, where early voting started Oct. 5 and goes until Oct. 27. Given the threats that have been expressed by Donald Trump, our task was encouraging people who were registered Democrats or Independents to “early vote” and vote for Democratic candidates. But why go to Maine? Before I answer that question, I need to offer a little civics background.
Nov. 3, 2026 is the midterm of Donald Trump’s presidency, two years into his four- year term (presidents are elected every four years). But all the members of the U.S. House of Representatives run for election every two years, and each of them is elected by the voting citizens in a congressional district (CD). Currently, every CD has about 760,000 people.
A change of just four seats from Republican to Democratic will change the leadership of The House and all committee heads from Republican to Democrat. Those changes deeply affect what legislation comes up for a vote.
Maine has just two congressional districts. Right now there is a contest in District 2, a hot race between incumbent Republican (Paul LePage) and challenging Democrat (Matt Dunlap), one of four that could flip the House leadership.
There are two, and only two, U.S. Senators per state no matter its population. Each senator is elected to a six-year term and one third of the Senate is elected every two years . For example, Texas has 26 congressional districts, and still just two senators. Maine with only two congressional districts also has two senators. When Maine voters elect senators, they have a great advantage: a smaller number of people needed statewide to elect a Maine senator.
Right now, Maine has a 6-term (36 years!) Republican senator, Sen. Susan Collins, now chair of the Appropriations Committee. Because she votes about 90% of the time with Donald Trump, and he is so unpopular with working people but popular with wealthier people, she has access to millions more campaign money. Nevertheless, she won her last race six years ago by just 51%; Maine has both “battleground state” House and Senate races. Every vote counts in Maine with huge consequences. “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.”
Running against Susan Collins is Tory Jackson. I had a chance to meet and see Jackson up close, working out of the Lewiston Democratic office. He was elected as a state representative and then as a state senator, and spent six years as chair of the State Senate. What made him so successful in the Legislature is strong union support, his ability to listen, and build coalitions. A very modest man, he shows up in jeans and sneakers, has a Maine accent, is not a fancy political speaker, but is clearly a genuine person with clear values, a straight-talking 5th-generation lumberjack with a sense of humor, from that vast area of northern Maine.
While he is not that well known in the populated and wealthier area of southern Maine (CD1), polls are around 50-50%, because Jackson is so dedicated to the health and safety of working people: advocating for access to medical resources, “Medicare for All,” affordable prescription drugs, free food for school kids, tuition-free junior college. Jobs. Addressing climate change. Ending Middle Eastern wars. Ethical standards for the Supreme Court justices, and ending tax breaks for billionaires.
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Pam Kelly of Greenfield is a member of FCCPR, is retired, and works primarily on climate issues.