PORTLAND, Maine (Diya TV) — A Republican super PAC’s radio ad attacking Democrat Troy Jackson over his relationship with longtime partner Lana Pelletier has put Sen. Susan Collins in a difficult position: she called for the ad’s removal, but Jackson’s allies say her own remarks helped turn their family life into a campaign issue.

The Senate Leadership Fund, which supports Republican Senate candidates, released the ad in Maine this month. Set to a country-style tune, it calls Jackson a “freak” and a “creep” because he and Pelletier are second cousins and have two children together. Its refrain says, “If he’ll screw his own family, he’ll screw yours, too.”

Collins told reporters she had “nothing to do with that ad” and said the group should take it down. Federal law bars candidates from coordinating with super PACs, which can spend independently on political campaigns. Collins’ public call for the ad’s removal marked a clear break from its personal attack, but it did not end questions about how the relationship entered the race.

In a September interview, Collins was asked whether Jackson’s personal life and the mother of his children were relevant to the campaign. She replied, “I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin,” adding, “I don’t know whether people know that or not.” Jackson’s campaign later accused Collins of raising the subject while claiming she would not discuss it.

Pelletier, Jackson’s partner for nearly 40 years, responded in an opinion column. She said Collins had publicly ridiculed her family and invoked her children in the campaign. Pelletier, a social worker in Allagash, described Jackson as her partner and the father of their children, and objected to political ads turning private family details into a punchline.

Jackson deputy campaign manager Dan Gottlieb accused Collins of helping launch the family attacks before distancing herself from the ad. Collins’ campaign has countered that Jackson also made the senator’s family part of the race when he criticized the consulting work of her husband, Tom Daffron. The campaigns’ competing claims reflect how personal the contest has become.

The radio spot is one of several sharp exchanges between the candidates. Collins and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have criticized Jackson’s response to a protester at a debate. Jackson has accused Collins and her husband of profiting from the war in Iran; Collins called the charge outrageous and demanded an apology. Jackson did not apologize.

The race could help determine control of the Senate. A Marist poll conducted Oct. 22–25 found Jackson leading Collins 49% to 47% among likely voters, a margin within the poll’s error range. The contest has drawn heavy spending and national attention as Collins seeks another term in a state that voted Democratic in the 2024 presidential election.

Collins is emphasizing her seniority as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the federal funding she says she has secured for Maine. Jackson, a former logger and president of the state Senate, argues that those benefits do not make up for policies he opposes, including tariffs and federal spending cuts. Their policy arguments now compete with ads and accusations focused on personal conduct and family.

The ad has sharpened scrutiny of Collins’ response: she has condemned the spot, while Jackson’s campaign points to her earlier comments as evidence that she helped legitimize the subject. Voters will decide whether that distinction matters as they weigh the candidates’ records and positions before Election Day, Nov. 3.