Susan Collins-Aligned Super PAC Buys Attack Ads in Portland... Oregon
A super PAC’s ad attacking Jackson over taxes and cost of living was mistakenly placed in Portland, Oregon.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Intercept is an established, bylined investigative newsroom that identifies its sources and publishes corrections. Its editorial identity is distinct, but the article provides identifiable reporting and data rather than anonymous claims.
- Source type — An established national investigative news outlet.
- Transparency — It attributes ad placement figures to Google data and quotes a named political operative.
- Author attribution — The article names its reporter.
- Correction history — The article includes a dated correction for its time-zone count.
The article supports its central account with Google advertising data, specific spending and dates, and a named source. It sought comment from the campaigns and the PAC, but their responses were unavailable, leaving the account weighted toward a Jackson supporter’s view.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article supplies data about the ad buy and reports that it sought comment from the PAC and both campaigns, but the available quoted interpretation comes from a Jackson supporter. No response from the group or campaigns is included.
- Source diversity — Google data supports the placement details, while the only quoted political source supports Jackson.
- Counterarguments presented — The article reports unsuccessful requests for comment but includes no response from the PAC or campaigns.
- Loaded language — The opening’s map joke and the article’s description of the mistake add a critical, mocking frame.
The article uses mocking language about the PAC’s geographic mistake and relies on a Jackson supporter for its critical characterization. The reported ad data and the unsuccessful requests for comment are also included.
- Language tone — The opening and several descriptions frame the PAC’s error as comic and embarrassing.
- Source selection — The article quotes a Jackson supporter at length; the PAC and campaigns did not respond.
- Framing — The story centers on the mistaken placement and its ridicule rather than the ad’s claims.
A Republican-affiliated super PAC spent $20,000 to $25,000 placing anti-Troy Jackson ads in Portland, Oregon, rather than Portland, Maine. The mistaken buy targeted a Senate candidate in a closely watched race but did not reach the intended Maine audience.
Defending Main Street bought an ad attacking Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson over taxes and cost of living, but the ad ran in Portland, Oregon, instead of Portland, Maine. Google advertising data showed the group spent between $20,000 and $25,000 to place the ad across hundreds of ZIP codes in Oregon and Washington from October 8 to October 11. The article also reported that the ad was set to appear more than one million times in the wrong Portland.
Andy O’Brien, a political operative who supports Jackson, called the mix-up embarrassing and said it spared Maine voters from more campaign advertising. The article said representatives for Jackson’s and Sen. Susan Collins’s campaigns and the super PAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Defending Main Street is affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership, which counts Collins among its Senate members.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSED
No good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Jackson in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Jackson’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Senate candidate targeted by a super PAC ad that ran in the wrong Portland.
Maine senator associated with the Republican Main Street Partnership.
Former candidate mentioned as having dropped out of the race.
Part of a bigger story
6 OUTLETSA Republican-aligned super PAC’s ads targeting Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson mistakenly ran in Portland, Oregon, rather than Portland, Maine. Left-leaning outlets treat the wrong-city placement as a comic mix-up and foreground a Jackson supporter’s reaction. Center outlets give a more matter-of-fact account, including the PAC’s refund or vendor-error explanation and the broader Senate-race context.
- ARTICLES
- 6
- OUTLETS
- 6
- AVG CRED
- 74
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