How AI products characterize crime and public safety across six 2026 U.S. Senate toss-up races

**Douglas P. Marsh** Publicly available information on Marsh’s specific positions, legislative record, or detailed policy proposals on violent crime, policing, sentencing, or public safety is very limited. He has not been a prominent elected official with an extensive voting record on these issues, and major campaign platforms or statements focused on crime reduction are not widely documented in mainstream public sources at this time. **Mike Rogers** Rogers is a former U.S. Representative (MI-8) and ex-FBI agent. His public record and statements emphasize strong support for law enforcement funding and tools, opposition to “defund the police” approaches, and linking border security to domestic crime and fentanyl trafficking. He has highlighted career experience in investigations and intelligence as informing a priority on enforcement, prosecution of violent offenders, and backing police. He has criticized progressive criminal-justice reforms he views as soft on crime. Detailed 2026 Senate-specific crime platforms should be checked against his current campaign materials for any updates. **Abdul El-Sayed** El-Sayed (physician, former Detroit Health Department director, and prior candidate for office) has publicly framed public safety through public-health and root-cause lenses: investing in communities, addressing poverty/economic drivers of crime, violence interruption, and targeted prevention alongside accountability. He has supported police accountability and reform measures while stating opposition to broad “defund” framing; his commentary often stresses reducing violence via social determinants rather than solely longer sentences or expanded incarceration. Specific 2026 Senate crime planks should be verified from current statements. **Walter P. Kristy** There is little readily available, detailed public record of Kristy’s positions, prior office-holding, or concrete proposals on violent crime, policing, or sentencing. He does not appear to have an extensive published platform or voting history on these topics in major sources. **Lydia Christensen** Public documentation of Christensen’s specific stances, record, or detailed policy positions on crime and public safety is sparse. No substantial legislative history or widely reported crime-focused platform is prominent in current mainstream records. **Tim Long** Long similarly has minimal widely documented public record or detailed policy positions on violent crime reduction, law-enforcement support, or related public-safety issues in major sources at this time. **Notes for voters** - Records and emphasis differ most clearly between higher-profile candidates (Rogers’ enforcement/FBI background and El-Sayed’s prevention/root-cause framing); several others currently lack robust, easily verifiable platforms on this issue. - Positions can evolve; primary sources (candidate sites, recent interviews, FEC filings, debate transcripts) and nonpartisan trackers are the best checks. - This is a factual summary of publicly discussed records only—not a recommendation or ranking.

**Susan Collins (Republican, incumbent U.S. Senator)** Public record on crime and public safety includes: - Long-standing support for federal law-enforcement funding, including COPS hiring grants, Byrne JAG grants, and resources for rural and state/local police and sheriffs’ departments in Maine. - Backing for measures targeting violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, and border-related drug flows (e.g., votes and statements supporting enhanced penalties and interdiction resources for fentanyl and precursor chemicals). - Cosponsorship/support for the First Step Act (2018) and related federal sentencing and prison-reform efforts aimed at reducing recidivism for non-violent offenders while maintaining penalties for violent offenses. - Advocacy for victims’ services, domestic-violence prevention funding, and opioid-crisis response bills that link treatment capacity to public-safety outcomes in Maine communities. - Generally positions herself as supporting “tough-on-crime” tools for violent and drug-related offenses alongside targeted reforms; voting record shows bipartisan participation on both enforcement and reform packages. **Troy Jackson (Democrat, former Maine Senate President; declared/candidate context for 2026)** Public record (primarily state-level legislative and leadership record) on crime and public safety includes: - As Senate President and legislator, supported Maine bills expanding criminal-justice reform, including efforts around sentencing adjustments, diversion/treatment programs, and reducing incarceration for lower-level offenses while emphasizing root-cause approaches (substance use, mental health, economic factors). - Backed state investments in community-based violence prevention, victim services, and behavioral-health capacity as public-safety strategies, particularly in rural northern Maine. - Record reflects Democratic caucus priorities on policing accountability measures, limits on certain enforcement expansions, and opposition to some “tough-on-crime” expansions at the state level; less extensive federal voting record given state service. - Public statements and legislative work have tied public safety to addressing poverty, addiction treatment access, and rural resource gaps rather than primarily expanding carceral or federal enforcement tools. - Positions emphasize prevention, rehabilitation, and local/community solutions over purely punitive federal approaches. These summaries draw from congressional voting records/statements (Collins) and Maine legislative history/leadership actions plus public comments (Jackson). Records evolve; voters should consult primary sources (Congress.gov, Maine Legislature site, candidate platforms, recent floor speeches) for the latest detail. No recommendation is made.

**Susan Collins (incumbent U.S. Senator, R-ME)** Public record includes long-term support for federal law-enforcement funding and bipartisan crime measures. She backed the First Step Act (2018), which expanded rehabilitation, reduced certain mandatory minimums, and aimed to lower recidivism while maintaining penalties for violent offenses. She has consistently voted to fund the Byrne JAG program, COPS hiring grants, and FBI/DEA resources, and has cosponsored bills targeting fentanyl trafficking and rural opioid-related crime. On guns, she has supported expanded background checks and extreme-risk laws in some forms while opposing broader assault-weapons bans; she has also highlighted Maine-specific issues such as domestic-violence firearms restrictions and support for state/local police. Critics note her votes against certain progressive policing-reform packages and her emphasis on prosecution and deterrence alongside prevention. **Troy Jackson (former Maine Senate President, D)** Public record from his state legislative career emphasizes criminal-justice reform, addressing root causes (poverty, addiction, mental health), and community-based prevention over purely punitive approaches. As Senate President he backed Maine measures expanding diversion and treatment programs, raising the age for certain juvenile prosecutions, and investing in behavioral-health services tied to public-safety outcomes. He has supported state-level funding for local law enforcement while advocating reallocation debates around non-violent offenses and opposing expansions of mandatory minimums. On violent crime he has publicly stressed holding serious offenders accountable and improving rural emergency response, but his platform historically prioritizes social-service investments and police-community relations reforms. Federal-level Senate positions specific to 2026 are less detailed in current public records than his state tenure; he has not held federal office. Both candidates’ records mix enforcement support with reform elements; differences appear mainly in emphasis (federal funding/prosecution focus vs. state-level prevention and diversion) and in the scope of gun and sentencing policy. Information above draws from congressional voting records, Maine legislative history, and public statements available through 2024; 2026 campaign platforms may add further detail. No recommendation is offered.

Here's what I found, though I should note upfront that I have much more verified information on Senator Collins's record than on Troy Jackson's specific positions on crime policy — I wasn't able to retrieve detailed search results on Jackson's crime/public safety platform in this session. ## Susan Collins (Republican, Incumbent) **Legislative record on crime:** Collins has a lengthy Senate record on this issue dating back decades. Early in her career she supported a moratorium on the death penalty with more DNA testing, more funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes, requiring DNA testing for federal executions, and increased funding for "cops on the beat" programs . She later supported criminal justice reform efforts, including measures to reduce recidivism by giving offenders a "second chance" and reduce mass incarceration . On the law-enforcement side specifically, she has been rated 64% by the National Association of Police Organizations, indicating a moderate stance on police issues, and has indicated support for law enforcement according to a Christian Coalition survey . **Recent violent crime legislation:** More recently, Collins has focused heavily on violent crime enforcement. She co-sponsored the *Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act*, which joined a group of colleagues in introducing a broad package to clarify and strengthen violent crime laws related to homicide, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and other offenses . In announcing this legislation, she argued that "Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, whether they are visiting local restaurants and shops, walking through their neighborhoods, or spending time with their families at home. Over the past several years, however, violent crime has surged across the country... This legislation would support the br

Let me provide you with what I found about Troy Jackson's record on crime and public safety. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete my search on Susan Collins due to search limitations, so I can only provide partial information. ## Troy Jackson After the 2023 mass shootings in Lewiston, Jackson shifted his approach toward gun laws in Maine. In the 2024 Maine legislative session, he led several gun safety bills through the legislature, including a 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases and a ban on bump stocks. In 2025, he wrote an op-ed supporting a "yes" vote on Maine Question 2, which implemented a red flag law in the state. However, Jackson's record on crime and public safety includes some controversial votes. In 2005, Jackson voted to kill legislation that would have required at least 10 years in prison for gross sexual assault or sexual abuse of a minor and doubled the mandatory minimum to 20 years for repeat offenders. Thirteen days later, Jackson cast another recorded vote against a House motion involving legislation designed to restrict where registered sex offenders could live. Regarding alternatives to incarceration, Jackson indicated support for alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment. ## Susan Collins I was unable to retrieve detailed information about Susan Collins' specific positions and record on crime and public safety. To get a complete comparison, I'd recommend visiting her official Senate website or reviewing her voting record on crime-related legislation through sources like Congress.gov or vote tracking websites. I'd be happy to search for more information about Susan Collins' crime and public safety record if you'd like.