Maine in August 2026: Senate race heats up, MaineHealth votes to close a birthing unit

August in Maine was shaped by the widening Senate race between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson, MaineHealth's vote to close a rural birthing unit, and continued scrutiny of MaineCare providers. Governor Janet Mills also wrote about the Trump administration's trade war with Canada in a Toronto Star op-ed.

The Senate race

• Maine's secretary of state declined to rule on Troy Jackson's ballot eligibility, leaving the question likely headed to court, The Maine Wire reported. (The Maine Wire)
• Maine Senate Democrats formally nominated Troy Jackson to challenge Senator Susan Collins, according to eciks.org. (eciks.org)
• Troy Jackson's son was charged nearly $200,000 to lobby the Maine Senate during Jackson's final year as its president, freebeacon.com reported. (freebeacon.com)
• Troy Jackson's first Senate campaign ad began airing, Maine Morning Star reported. (Maine Morning Star)
• Planned Parenthood made a large ad buy in the Maine Senate race, according to The Hill. (The Hill)
• Susan Collins and Democrats are fighting a television ad war over her votes on Medicaid cuts, NBC News reported. (NBC News)
• A staffer said Troy Jackson steered $13.4 million toward a client his son lobbies for, according to the International Business Times UK. (International Business Times UK)

The governor's race

• Independent gubernatorial candidate Rick Bennett offered a plan to protect Maine's environment, according to newscentermaine.com. (newscentermaine.com)
• Bobby Charles vowed to cut Maine's spending as part of his campaign for governor, Spectrum News reported. (Spectrum News)
• Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles said he wants ICE agents posted at Maine polling places, WABI reported. (WABI)
• Maine Democrats claimed gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles' policies would threaten senior health care, according to newscentermaine.com. (newscentermaine.com)

The 2nd District race

• The National Rifle Association endorsed former Maine Governor Paul LePage's run for Congress, according to newscentermaine.com. (newscentermaine.com)
• A Maine gun control group declined to endorse Matt Dunlap in the 2nd District race, Centralmaine.com reported. (Centralmaine.com)
• House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed Paul LePage in Maine's 2nd Congressional District race, WGME reported. (WGME)
• Planned Parenthood endorsed Matt Dunlap in the Maine 2nd Congressional District race, Spectrum News reported. (Spectrum News)

Washington and the Canada trade fight

• Senator Susan Collins struck a bipartisan Senate deal to avert a government shutdown by stripping out a White House-favored provision, the New York Post reported. (New York Post)
• The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in an early-morning vote, with Susan Collins joining Democrats in opposition, The Maine Wire reported. (The Maine Wire)
• Susan Collins asked the White House to weigh the negative impact of its trade war with Canada, according to The Hill. (The Hill)
• Maine's governor wrote about what she wants Canadians to know regarding Donald Trump's trade war, the Toronto Star reported. (Toronto Star)

MaineCare, Medicaid and MaineHealth

• MaineHealth's board voted to close the only labor and delivery unit in Lincoln County, WGME reported. (WGME)
• Maine legislators urged MaineHealth to reassess its decision to close Lincoln Hospital's maternity unit, according to newscentermaine.com. (newscentermaine.com)
• Maine suspended payments to five health care providers amid Medicaid scrutiny from the Trump administration, The Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• A MaineCare provider that had drawn more than $47 million in payments had those payments suspended, months after The Maine Wire visited its office, the outlet reported. (The Maine Wire)
• Maine's health department will review Medicaid oversight following a Republican push, according to Prime Publishers, Inc. (Prime Publishers, Inc.)
• Growing scrutiny of MaineCare fraud is raising questions for Maine tied to California's Stop Nick Shirley Act, The Maine Wire reported. (The Maine Wire)
• Penobscot Community Health Care said it needs $3 million within weeks to avoid a crisis, WABI reported. (WABI)

Immigration and ICE

• ICE's Maine staff grew 44% over the past year, according to Central Maine. (Central Maine)
• Lawmakers demanded answers from ICE as they investigate a fatal shooting in Maine, WCPO 9 News reported. (WCPO 9 News)
• A Portland Public Schools van driver was taken into ICE custody after the Department of Homeland Security said he tried to enter Canada, Maine Public reported. (Maine Public)
• A Scarborough family said ICE detained the father for the second time, Central Maine reported. (Central Maine)

State government and infrastructure

• Thirteen train cars derailed on a CSX line between Veazie and Orono, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• Employees at a Maine paper mill had asked for safety monitors for decades before two deaths led the company to add them, Central Maine reported. (Central Maine)
• Three people were injured when a bridge collapsed in Old Town, WGME reported. (WGME)
• A right-to-repair bill for electronics was reintroduced to the Maine Legislature, WMTW reported. (WMTW)
• A Maine fire department became the first in the state to switch to PFAS-free turnout gear, FireRescue1 reported. (FireRescue1)
• A Maine contractor faces more than $1 million in civil judgments from homeowners, WGME reported. (WGME)
• An underwater AI data center proposal is drawing concern from Peskotomuhkati leaders in Canada and the U.S., CBC reported. (CBC)
• Controversial $300 affordability checks began arriving in Maine mailboxes, The Maine Wire reported. (The Maine Wire)
• Maine's $500 million supplemental budget took effect, The Maine Wire reported. (The Maine Wire)
• The state employees union reached a tentative contract agreement with the Mills administration, WABI reported. (WABI)

Sports

• Orono's Ruth White won her third Maine title at the Beach to Beacon race, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• Hearts of Pine fans are confident a new stadium will elevate the women's team, The Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)

This roundup summarizes reporting by other outlets; follow the links for their full stories.