Republican Group Launches Attack Ad Campaign 3,100 Miles From Target

Eric Lee / REUTERS A Republican political group working to help Maine Sen.

Susan Collins in her reelection bid launched a costly ad buy—in the wrong state.

Collins, 73, who has represented Maine in the Senate for nearly 30 years, was the subject of campaign ads mistakenly aired in Portland, Oregon, just over 3,000 miles from her target audience in Portland, Maine.

Republican organizers spent between $20,000 and $25,000 on an ad buy targeting viewers in the Portland, Oregon, market, which includes parts of Washington state, according to the Google Political Ad Transparency Center.

Sarah Chamberlain, president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, told NBC News that the ad had since been taken down after the group was made aware of the embarrassing mix-up.

She said she was “absolutely furious” that the ad buyer, Cross Screen Media, made such a “ridiculous” error, “The buyers made a mistake on one of the placements.

It’s down now, and they’re running it in Portland, Maine,” Chamberlain said.

“It has nothing to do with us.

I would never run an ad in Portland, Oregon, for Susan Collins, for Christ’s sake.” Cross Screen Media has admitted the error, calling it “100% our mistake.” The firm said it had refunded the money to the PAC.

The ad targeted Collins’ opponent, Democratic nominee Troy Jackson.

It tried to paint him as someone who would raise taxes, calling him “taxin’ Troy Jackson.” Collins is viewed as one of the more vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with control of both chambers of Congress at stake.

Polling shows Collins and Jackson are neck and neck in the race.

Collins, a five-term senator, has spent much of her political career walking a tightrope in politically divided Maine.

She has broken with President Donald Trump several times, but has also emerged as a key vote on numerous occasions to advance his legislative agenda or confirm controversial nominees such as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.