GOP Super PAC Misplaces $25000 Collins Attack Ad in Oregon

A Republican political action committee supporting Sen. Susan Collins' reelection campaign mistakenly spent about $25,000 on digital advertisements attacking Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Portland, Oregon, instead of Portland, Maine. The ads ran from Oct. 8 through Oct. 11, 2026, according to Google Ads data, directing campaign spending toward viewers who cannot vote in Maine's November Senate election.

Defending Main Street PAC confirmed the error and said its media vendor would reimburse the full amount. The misplaced advertising was part of a Republican effort to criticize Jackson's record on taxation and the cost of living as Collins seeks another Senate term.

The super PAC said the mistake occurred during an independent expenditure and that the advertisements were stopped and corrected after the error was identified. The organization attributed the problem to its media vendor, Cross Screen Media, according to reporting by MS NOW and The Washington Examiner.

In a statement to MS NOW, Defending Main Street explained that the vendor had placed approximately $25,000 in digital advertising in the wrong Portland market. The organization said the vendor would refund the entire amount and that donor funds would not be lost.

The advertisements, titled "So Many Taxes," accused Jackson of supporting policies that increased costs for Maine residents. The commercial also linked his legislative record to tax increases enacted during his time in the state legislature.

Google Ads Transparency Center data showed that the digital campaign appeared primarily in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area and reached more than 1.5 million views by Monday morning, Oct. 12. AdImpact data separately recorded approximately 675,000 impressions for the advertisement on broadcast television in the Portland, Maine, media market between Thursday and Sunday.

Republican Main Street Partnership President Sarah Chamberlain expressed anger over the placement error and blamed the advertising buyer. The organization is the conservative nonprofit parent of Defending Main Street, which is affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership.

Chamberlain told NBC News that she was "absolutely furious" about the mistake. She said the problem stemmed from the media buyer rather than the organization's intended campaign strategy.

Chamberlain also described the placement as a "ridiculous" error. She said the advertisement had been removed from the incorrect market and was being run in Portland, Maine, instead.

Collins' campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment reported by MS NOW. The advertisement was not directly authorized by her campaign, although Collins belongs to the Republican Main Street Partnership.

The misplaced spending represents a small portion of the broader financial battle for Maine's Senate seat. AdImpact data cited by The Washington Examiner showed that Republicans had invested nearly $150 million in the state as of the week before the report, while Democrats had spent almost $110 million, bringing combined spending above $250 million.

Collins, a Republican who has represented Maine in the Senate for three decades, is seeking a sixth term. Jackson, the Democratic nominee and a former state legislator, is challenging her in one of the closely watched Senate contests of the 2026 midterm elections.

The campaigns have emphasized competing economic and political issues. Collins' allies have highlighted Jackson's record on taxes, while Jackson's supporters have focused on energy costs linked to the war in Iran and Collins' votes to confirm Supreme Court justices who later overturned Roe v. Wade.

The candidates were scheduled to participate in their third of four debates before Maine voters on Tuesday night, Oct. 13, as both campaigns continued their efforts ahead of the November election.