How will Collins, Jackson approach Maine's fragile healthcare if elected?

U.S. Senate candidates Susan Collins and Troy Jackson are staking their campaigns on healthcare as Maine’s system faces mounting pressure ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections on Nov. 3. Healthcare is portrayed as a key dividing line between Collins, a moderate Republican, and Jackson, a progressive Democrat, in what’s expected to be one of the nation’s tightest races. Maine has seen closures of rural maternity wards, hospital consolidation, and Medicaid cuts that could disrupt care, with 11 of 23 maternity wards shutting in the past decade. A KFF analysis cited a potential loss of MaineCare coverage for about 29,000 residents under 2025 work requirements tied to the OBBBA.