Tanner Yocum

Susan Collins positions herself as a common-sense, moderate politician who gets things done for Mainers. But what does the “moderate” label really mean? Someone like her might say that a moderate is someone who wants the government to work for every American and not let partisanship blind them from doing what is right. In that sense, Collins doesn’t live up to that characterization.

What Collins has done is made the government work to oppress and strip the rights of vulnerable communities. She voted to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with $70 billion back in June, which played a direct role in the murder of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford a month later. She voted to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), which cut Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions of families who rely on them. She voted to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose vote was pivotal in overturning Roe v. Wade. She has consistently voted to arm Israel with weapons while they commit a genocide in Gaza, according to multiple different human rights organizations, including the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

You might be asking, “Well, what does this all mean?” I bring this all up because while she may defend herself by feigning ignorance or mentioning her occasional oppositional votes, these points are all null and void. Rather, she is paying lip service so as to maintain her “moderate” façade. In actuality, her actions hurt the people who make up her constituents; women, immigrants, low-income families and people with relatives in the Middle East have had their lives made much worse by what Collins has done. A tried and true moderate wouldn’t stand for any of this.

The other part of what it means to be moderate is not letting partisanship blind you to what is best, and in that regard, Collins has also done an abysmal job. Collins may tout herself as an “independent” voice who occasionally dissents against the Grand Old Party’s (GOP) worst instincts, but her record proves the opposite to be true. According to the Center for American Progress, she has voted with Trump’s stated position 95 percent of the time. Furthermore, when she has voted against his position, such as the final passage of the OBBB, she has done so when the GOP has enough votes to pass their agenda.

A senator with this kind of record can’t claim to be moderate because the only times they drop their partisanship is when it makes them look good. In other words, it’s all performative. Even if you believe her bipartisanship farce, that’s not exactly a good thing either. At one point perhaps, there was a place for an independent voice who could bridge partisan divides. However, as our country slips further toward fascism, that’s not what we need. No good will come out of capitulating to fascists; all appeasement communicates is weakness. A true moderate recognizes fascists for who they are and fights them at every step, and that’s who Maine needs: a fighter.

While Susan Collins may label him a far-left extremist, Troy Jackson is far from it, and has more credibility to call himself a moderate than she does. Fighting for Medicare for all isn’t an extremist position; universal healthcare should be a human right for all Americans. Abolishing ICE isn’t an extremist position; there’s no need for an agency that brutalizes and murders innocent people in broad daylight. Cutting all arms sales to Israel isn’t an extremist position; it’s the appropriate consequence for a nation that relies on American tax dollars to commit war crimes. Any empathetic, compassionate person would come to these same conclusions, and that’s who Troy Jackson is.

So, to everyone who will vote in Maine in November: a vote for Susan Collins isn’t a vote for moderation; it’s a vote to continue the reckless authoritarianism with impunity that’s destroying this nation. If you want a real moderate, that is, someone who wants to better people’s lives and will vote with their conscience, Troy Jackson is the only real choice in the race. Please vote for the candidate who’ll actually fight for working people, and not someone who’ll serve the billionaires and mask it under the guise of moderation.

Erik Valtierrez is a member of the Class of 2027.