Takeaways from Thursday’s Senate debates in Alaska and Maine

Key Points:

• In heated Senate debates in Maine and Alaska, candidates exchanged personal attacks, with Maine Democrat Troy Jackson telling GOP Sen. Susan Collins to "shut up," and Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan questioning Democrat Mary Peltola’s character amid staff mistreatment allegations.
• Both races are crucial for Senate control, with Collins defending her moderate stance in a blue state and Sullivan facing a well-known Democratic challenger in GOP-leaning Alaska.
• President Donald Trump’s war in Iran emerged as a significant liability for Republicans, with Collins criticizing Trump for bypassing Congress and Sullivan calling for an end to the conflict while supporting energy production in Alaska.
• In Maine, corruption and campaign financing were major debate themes, with Collins accusing Jackson of undisclosed donors and Jackson defending his refusal to accept corporate PAC money, emphasizing his plan to tax billionaires.
• Alaska’s debate featured sharp exchanges over a New York Times report on Peltola’s alleged staff mistreatment, with Sullivan labeling it a character flaw and Peltola dismissing the claims as gossip, alongside Sullivan’s unsubstantiated suggestion that Peltola had advance access to debate questions.