2026年10月1日 美国东部时间上午5:00 卢克·加勒特（Luke Garrett） 竞选标语贴满了位于缅因州卡里布的阿鲁斯图克县共和党竞选总部窗户。
October 1, 2026 5:00 AM ET Luke Garrett Campaign signs fill the windows of the Aroostook County Republican campaign headquarters in Caribou, Maine.
卢克·加勒特 / NPR新闻 缅因州阿鲁斯图克县的秋天来得格外早——这里是共和党参议员苏珊·柯林斯（Susan Collins）及其民主党挑战者特洛伊·杰克逊（Troy Jackson）共同的出生地。
Luke Garrett / NPR News Fall came early in Aroostook County, Maine — the shared birthplace of Republican Sen. Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson.
到9月初，琥珀色的叶子开始迎接行驶在阿鲁斯图克县双车道公路上的司机们，这里是美国本土最北端的县。今年，柯林斯和杰克逊的红、白、蓝三色竞选标语，为点缀在美国1号公路沿线的绚丽秋景增添了几分色彩。
By early-September, amber leaves start to greet drivers along the two-lane roads of Aroostook, the northernmost county in the contiguous U.S. This year, a few red, white and blue campaign signs for Collins and Jackson add to the colorful display dotting U.S. Route 1.
1号公路是柯林斯和杰克逊都非常熟悉的一条路，因为它穿过了他们两人的家乡。柯林斯来自缅因州的卡里布，而杰克逊则出生在北面约40英里处的肯特堡。
Route 1 is a road both Collins and Jackson know well as it runs through both of their hometowns. Collins is from Caribou, Maine while Jackson was born in Fort Kent, about 40 miles north.
据负责缅因州民调的新罕布什尔大学调查中心主任安德鲁·史密斯（Andrew Smith）称，从统计学角度来看，两人之间的竞争难分伯仲。阿鲁斯图克县的选民——曾在2012年支持奥巴马，并在2016年支持特朗普——可能会决定最终哪位本土候选人获胜。
Statistically, the race between them is a toss-up, according to Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center which runs polls in Maine. Voters in Aroostook County — who supported Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016 — could decide which home-county candidate ultimately wins.
“如果农村选民踊跃投票，他们很可能会支持苏珊·柯林斯，”史密斯说。“如果苏珊·柯林斯想要成功，她真的必须动员那些蓝领农村选民去投票，而这将是一个挑战。”在史密斯看来，柯林斯和杰克逊都面临着选民热情度的问题。
"If the rural voters come out and vote strongly, they'll likely vote for Susan Collins," Smith said. "If Susan Collins is going to be successful, she's really going to have to get those blue collar rural voters out to the polls and that's going to be a challenge." To Smith, both Collins and Jackson face enthusiasm problems.
“格雷厄姆·普拉特纳（Graham Platner）不在候选名单上，这对苏珊·柯林斯来说可能是有利的，因为杰克逊没有那种热情，也没有给这场竞选带来那种个人魅力，”史密斯说。“但与此同时，今年对民主党人来说将是好的一年，而共和党人出来投票的理由却没那么多。”杰克逊是在原民主党候选人格雷厄姆·普拉特纳因强奸指控（普拉特纳对此予以否认）退选后，才匆忙加入参议院竞选的。
"It probably helps Susan Collins that [Graham] Platner is not on the ticket because Jackson doesn't have that enthusiasm, doesn't bring that charisma to the race," Smith said. "But at the same time, this is going to be a good year for Democrats and there's not as much reason for Republicans to get out to vote." Jackson is a late addition to the Senate race after the original Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, dropped out following allegations of rape that he denies.
一块竞选标语牌立在缅因州阿鲁斯图克县美国1号公路旁的草坪上。
A campaign sign sits on a lawn along U.S. Route 1 in Aroostook County, Maine.
阿鲁斯图克县共和党委员会主席克里斯托弗·莱登并不担心柯林斯会面临热情度不足的问题，他指出了她在参议院的长期履历。
Aroostook County Republican Committee Chair Christopher Lydon isn't worried about any enthusiasm problems for Collins, noting her long record in the Senate.
“我认为她的基本盘依然稳固，她为本州做了很多贡献，”莱登坐在位于卡里布的党部办公室里说道。“她这次非常活跃，参加了各种游行，积极走访选民。所以尽管对方可能会有不同说法，但我认为民众依然支持她。我认为她很有机会再次胜选。”柯林斯此前已赢得过五次参议员竞选。每一次，她所在的家乡县都在投票中以两位数的优势支持她。杰克逊竞选团队认为，这一连胜纪录将在十一月终结。
"I think the base is still there with [Collins] and she does a lot for the state," Lydon said sitting in the party's headquarters in Caribou. "She's been very active this time with the parades and getting out there. So I think despite what the other side might say, I think people are there with her. I think she's got a good chance of winning again." Collins has won five Senate races. Each time, her home county has turned out for her at the polls by double-digit margins. The Jackson campaign thinks that streak will end in November.
“我认为第六次会有所不同，”杰克逊的支持者、缅因州美国劳工联合会-产业工会联合会（AFL-CIO）执行主任马特·施洛博姆表示。“我的意思是，我认为特洛伊会赢得阿鲁斯图克县。我认为他会赢得这场竞选。”施洛博姆在25年前首次结识杰克逊。当时，杰克逊是一名伐木工人的工会组织者。从那时起，施洛博姆就一直与他并肩作战，支持他竞选缅因州众议院和参议院的席位，这些选区都位于杰克逊的家乡县。
"I think the sixth will be different," Jackson booster and Executive Director of the Maine AFL-CIO Matt Schlobohm said. "I mean, I think Troy will win Aroostook County. I think he will win this race." Schlobohm first met Jackson 25 years ago. At the time, Jackson was a union organizer for loggers. Since then, Schlobohm has campaigned with him for seats in Maine's state House and Senate — all based in Jackson's home county.
竞选传单和标语牌存放在位于缅因州普雷斯克艾尔的缅因州民主党协调竞选办公室里。
Campaign flyers and signs lay stored at the Maine Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office in Presque Isle, Maine.
“阿鲁斯图克县乃至整个缅因州的民众开车频率很高，”施洛博姆补充道。“汽油价格高得离谱。苏珊·柯林斯投票支持了这场愚蠢、鲁莽的伊朗战争，这直接让缅因州工薪阶层的生活变得更加艰难。”当被问及伊朗战争及其引发的油价飙升时，共和党县主席莱登对总统表示了支持。
"Folks in Aroostook County and all over Maine drive a lot," Schlobohm added. "The price of gas is through the roof. Susan Collins voted and supported this foolish, reckless war in Iran that has directly made life harder for working Mainers." When asked about the Iran war and the ensuing jump in gas prices, Republican Party county chair Lydon backed the president.
“那只是暂时的，”莱登坐在一个真人大小的特朗普立牌旁说道。“我认为总统正在做一件必须要做的事情，只是这件事持续的时间比他预想的要长。”在缅因州卡里布的阿鲁斯图克县共和党总部，立着一个真人大小的特朗普总统纸板立牌。
"That's a temporary thing," Lydon said sitting beside a lifesized cut out of Trump. "I think the president is doing something that needed to be done, that's carrying on a lot longer than he thought it would." A life-sized cardboard cutout of President Trump is propped up in the Aroostook County Republican headquarters in Caribou, Maine.
但他承认战争造成了政治问题。"人们对汽油价格感到愤怒，我是说，冬天取暖油价格也要涨了,"莱登说。"但从长远来看，这对世界应该是更好的。"
But he acknowledged the political problem the war has created. "People are angry about the price of gas and, I mean, heating oil is coming up in the winter," Lydon said. "But in the long run, it should be better for the world."
在莱登办公室外的停车场里，54岁的萨布丽娜·海尼在一块写着"玉米、小黄瓜和土豆"的牌子旁，售卖当地农民的农产品。她在卡里布已经住了三十年。"32年前我搬来这里时，汽油是每加仑0.99美元,"海尼谈到汽油价格时说。"而现在，我见过它涨到每加仑5美元。所以它就是得降下来。缅因州是个穷州。"但她最担心的是与加拿大在贸易和关税上的紧张关系。
In the parking lot outside Lydon's office, 54-year-old Sabrina Haney sold produce from local farmers beside a sign listing "corn, cukes, and potatoes." She's lived in Caribou for three decades. "When I moved up here 32 years ago, it was $0.99 a gallon," Haney said of gas prices. "And now, I've seen it go up to $5 a gallon. So it just needs to come down. Maine is a poor state." But it's the tension with Canada over trade and tariffs she is most worried about.
54岁的萨布丽娜·海尼站在缅因州卡里布的斯科涅茨基蔬菜摊旁。"我们离边境只有大约10分钟路程,"自称特朗普选民的海尼说。"这很伤人，因为加拿大人过去常来这儿花钱，现在他们加了关税，就会削减开支，待在自己国家里。"此外，她说农民不得不提高价格，因为他们从加拿大购买化肥。"这太荒谬了,"她说。"我们一直和加拿大合作得很好。"尽管如此，她仍然支持特朗普，并计划投票给柯林斯。
Sabrina Haney, 54, stands next to Skonieczny's vegetable cart in Caribou, Maine. "We're only about maybe 10 minutes from the border," said Haney, who describes herself as a Trump voter. "It hurts because Canada, the people, used to come here and spend their money and now that they put tariffs on there, they're just going to cut back and stay in their own country." Moreover, she said farmers are having to raise their prices because they buy their fertilizer in Canada. "It's ridiculous," she said. "We've always worked well with Canada." Despite this, she still backs Trump and plans to vote for Collins.
在缅因州福特肯特，靠近美加边境的地方，43岁的布兰登·戈丁也感受到了痛苦。他经营一家小电影院，有两个可容纳50人的放映厅和一对挑剔的放映机。"去年冬天，我们把票价涨到12美元[一张]，试图用来抵消给这地方供暖的燃料成本,"戈丁站在剧院中央过道上说。"结果这把一些人挡在门外了。所以我们又降回8美元了。"
In Fort Kent, Maine, near the U.S.-Canada border, 43-year-old Brandon Goding is also feeling the pain. He runs a small cinema with two 50-person auditoriums and a pair of finicky projectors. "Last winter, we raised our prices up to $12 [a ticket] trying to help us out with the fuel costs to heat this place," Goding said, standing in the center aisle of the theater. "And that kind of priced some people out. So we dropped it back down to eight."
43岁的布兰登·戈丁站在福特肯特剧院两个放映厅之一的中央过道上。
Brandon Goding, 43, stands in the center aisle of one of his two movie auditoriums at Fort Kent Theater.
根据缅因州能源资源部的数据，过去一年取暖油价格上涨了74%。"我确实担心冬天的到来，"戈丁说。"我的油箱现在是满的，是夏天存的，我们也有热泵，但它们太旧了。在这么大的开放空间里，作用有限。"在福特肯特剧院的房贷、每月700美元的维修贷款还款，以及预计每月1000美元的取暖油费之间，戈丁不确定能否维持剧院开门营业。"
In the last year, heating oil prices have increased by 74%, according to the Maine Department of Energy Resources. "I'm definitely scared for the winter," Goding said. "My tank is full right now from the summer and we do have heat pumps, but they're older. They only do so much in these big open spaces" Between the mortgage for Fort Kent Theater, a monthly $700 repair loan payment and an estimated heating oil bill of $1,000 a month, Goding isn't sure if he can keep the lights on.
考虑到人们去剧院的习惯，我真不确定怎么支付这些费用，"戈丁说。"所以如果有候选人能降低油价就好了。"他计划在11月投票，但在柯林斯和杰克逊之间反复犹豫。"特洛伊·杰克逊离这儿这么近，通常我会更倾向自由派，但我听到关于他的很多坏话，不过那是因为我们在保守地区，"戈丁说。"我确实喜欢苏珊·柯林斯。她偶尔会反对特朗普，但力度不够。"
"With the habits of people coming out to theaters, I'm not really sure how I'm going to cover that," Goding said. "So it would be nice if we had a candidate that would bring oil prices down." He plans to vote in November, but flips back and forth between Collins and Jackson. "Having Troy Jackson be so close here, normally I would go more liberal, but I hear all these bad stories about him, but that's because [we are] in a conservative area," Goding said. "I do like Susan Collins. She has gone against Trump here and there, but she doesn't do it enough."