Maine and Alaska Senate debates held as polls show Democratic leads
Televised Senate debates have taken place in Maine and Alaska, where polls show Democratic challengers leading Republican incumbents ahead of the 3 November midterms.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Voters in the United States are preparing for midterm elections that will decide control of the Senate, with the vote due on 3 November. Two televised Senate debates have taken place in closely watched races in Maine and Alaska.
In Maine, the Republican incumbent Susan Collins faced the Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. In Alaska, the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan faced the Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Both seats are Republican-held and both contests are seen as important to the fight for the chamber.
Pollster and political strategist Ben Tulchin said the polls are strongly favourable to Democrats. He pointed to an 8-point Democratic lead in the generic congressional vote, similar to the party's margin in 2018 when it won back the House in Donald Trump's first midterm election. He also said Democrats lead in 10 of the 11 most competitive Senate races and are tied in the other, including leads in Alaska and Maine.
Asked whether the two Republican-held seats could flip, Mr Tulchin said he believed so. He argued that the incumbents in Alaska and Maine face the same problem as Republican incumbents elsewhere: they must defend voting with Trump almost all the time and a record that voters dislike. He said voters are angry about the rising cost of living and inflation, and especially with Trump over his promise to lower prices on day one. He cited tariffs and the war in Iran as policies that have pushed up costs for everyday goods and essentials such as gas, diesel and heating oil.
The interview also covered Republican claims that polls understate Trump's support because many of his loyalists do not speak to pollsters. Mr Tulchin said there is some truth to that when Trump is on the ballot, noting undercounts in 2016, 2020 and 2024. But he said midterm polling, when Trump's name is not on the ballot, has been accurate and shows a strong reaction against him. He added that the economy is now doing much worse because of Trump's own policies, causing frustration even among Trump supporters and Republicans.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A pollster said Democrats led in 10 of the 11 most competitive Senate races and were tied in the other, with Alaska and Maine among the contests. | |
| A pollster said Republican incumbents in Alaska and Maine had to defend voting with Trump nearly 100% of the time. | |
| Two televised Senate debates were held in Maine and Alaska ahead of the 3 November midterm elections. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News placed the Maine and Alaska Senate debates inside a wider international bulletin and focused on Democratic poll leads. It used an interview with pollster Ben Tulchin to argue both Republican-held seats are vulnerable, and it gave space to the debate over whether polls undercount Trump supporters. The segment was brief and did not include voices from the Republican campaigns or the debates themselves.
- “The polls are very encouraging for Democrats.”
- “Democrats are leading in 10 of them and tied in the other including leading in Alaska and Maine.”
- “they have to defend voting with Trump almost 100% of the time for most of these incumbents”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.