Two polls released September 24 gave different candidates the lead in Maine's U.S. Senate race, leaving Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson with competing measures of voter support.
A UMass Lowell/YouGov survey put Jackson at 48% and Collins at 43%. The New York Times/Siena poll reported the reverse order: Collins at 49% and Jackson at 46%, according to the Siena Research Institute's release.
The surveys measured voters at different times. UMass Lowell interviewed 650 likely voters from August 28 through September 14 and reported an adjusted margin of error of 4.66 percentage points. The Bangor Daily News reported that the Times/Siena survey interviewed 619 likely voters September 15-22, with a margin of error of 4.9 points.
Those limits matter when reading small differences between candidates. The headline percentages are estimates of support in separate samples, rather than vote counts or proof that either candidate has secured the race.
The UMass Lowell release identified Collins' ability to attract Democrats and independents as a factor to watch. Its survey also found that 6% of respondents were undecided in the Senate contest.
The same UMass Lowell poll showed Democrat Hannah Pingree ahead of Republican Bobby Charles in the governor's race, 49% to 38%, with 10% undecided. The two contests produced different levels of separation in that survey, even as the Senate releases disagreed about who was ahead.
Sources:
https://www.uml.edu/news/press-releases/2026/09242026-maine-poll.aspx
https://sri.siena.edu/2026/09/24/nytimes-siena-poll-of-likely-voters/