<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="has-underline">A Republican-affiliated</span> super PAC has faced criticism for targeting the wrong location with its ads.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Defending Main Street super PAC spent thousands of dollars on an attack ad aimed at Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, but the ad was shown to audiences in Portland, Oregon, rather than Portland, Maine.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The ad criticized Jackson on issues related to taxes and the cost of living, stating, “Maine can’t afford Troy Jackson and all his taxes.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-right"><blockquote><p>“It’s clear these people don’t know anything about Maine.”</p></blockquote></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The super PAC, which supports moderate Republicans like incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins, has made cost of living a central issue in the upcoming midterm elections scheduled for November 3.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The ad was reportedly shown over 1 million times in the wrong Portland, as data from Google indicated it reached digital audiences more than 3,000 miles away.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Political operative Andy O’Brien, who supports Jackson, commented on the situation, saying, “We have billionaires with no connection to Maine spending millions of dollars to buy Susan Collins the election, so it’s pretty hilarious to see them throwing money at the wrong Portland.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">O’Brien added, “I’m glad they’re wasting their money in Oregon and not continuing to waste it in Maine.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Representatives from both the Jackson and Collins campaigns, as well as a spokesperson for Defending Main Street, did not respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The super PAC is affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership, which aims to support moderate Republicans. The partnership has shifted to the right in recent years.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-busy-maine-street">Busy Maine Street</h2>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The race between Collins and Jackson has gained significant attention and is considered one of the most high-profile Senate races in the country. Maine has become a focal point for political spending this election cycle.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite the ad's intended impact, it did not resonate as planned, with the ad buy first being reported by a user on social media who noticed multiple anti-Jackson ads in Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Data from the Google Ads Transparency Center revealed that Defending Main Street spent between $20,000 and $25,000 to place the ad in various ZIP codes across Oregon and Washington between October 8 and October 11.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">O’Brien remarked, “At least now Portland, Oregon, residents can enjoy some of the crap we’ve been seeing every single day.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Correction: October 12, 2026, 2:04 p.m. ET</strong><br /><em>A previous version of this article misstated the number of time zones between Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Maine; it is three, not two.</em></p>