前总统巴拉克·奥巴马公开支持缅因州参议院选举中的特洛伊·杰克逊。当前，民主党正试图将已连任五届的共和党籍参议员苏珊·柯林斯赶下台，这场选举因此成为决定参议院控制权的关键战场。
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate race wading into a key battleground in the fight for control of the chamber as Democrats seek to unseat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
在杰克逊竞选团队发布的一段新视频中，奥巴马着重介绍了这位民主党候选人的工人阶级背景及其立法成就，称他是那些深受高物价困扰的缅因州民众的代言人。
new video released by Jackson’s campaign, Obama highlighted the Democrat’s working-class background and legislative record, portraying him as an advocate for Mainers struggling with high costs.
“特洛伊·杰克逊正在竞选下一任参议员，我很自豪能为他助阵，”奥巴马说道。
“Troy Jackson is running to be your next senator, and I’m proud to be on board,” Obama said.
奥巴马还列举了杰克逊在缅因州议会期间为提升最低工资标准、降低处方药价格、增加学生餐供应以及保护堕胎权所做出的努力。
Obama pointed to Jackson’s efforts in the Maine Legislature to increase wages, reduce prescription drug costs, expand access to school meals and protect abortion rights.
“在当前的经济环境下，我们需要像特洛伊这样能挺身而出的斗士——他可是第五代伐木工人啊。特洛伊每周工作80小时，却依然难以维持生计，”奥巴马说道。此次背书正值杰克逊与柯林斯即将进行三天内的第二场辩论前夕，无疑为杰克逊在竞选最后阶段增添了强大的助力。
“In this economy, we need a fighter like Troy, a fifth-generation logger,” Obama said. “Troy worked 80 hours a week and still struggled to get by.”The endorsement comes just hours before Jackson and Collins are set to meet for their second debate in three days, giving Jackson a high-profile boost as the candidates enter the final weeks of a race.
杰克逊表示，能获得奥巴马的支持令他“深感荣幸”，并将民众对经济现状的不满视为自己参选的重要动力。
Jackson said he was “honored” to receive Obama’s support and pointed to economic frustration as a driving force in his campaign.
“普通劳动者早已厌倦了这样的政府：它只为富人和有门路的人服务，而他们自己却连基本生计都难以维持。民众渴望变革，而我们定将把这种变革带进华盛顿，”杰克逊在一份声明中说道。这位前缅因州参议院议长此次挑战的对手正是自1996年起便担任参议员的柯林斯。随着民主党试图在11月大选中争取更多席位，这场选举也已然成为参议院选战的重中之重。
“Working people are sick and tired of a government that works for the wealthy and well-connected while they struggle to get by,” Jackson said in a statement. “They’re ready for change, and together, we’re going to bring that change to Washington.”The former state Senate president is challenging Collins who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, in a contest that has emerged as a major Senate battleground as Democrats look for opportunities to gain seats in November.
周二，柯林斯与杰克逊进行了预定四场辩论中的第一场，双方就唐纳德·特朗普总统政策、堕胎、移民及经济等议题展开了激烈交锋。
Collins and Jackson met Tuesday for the first of four scheduled debates clashed over President Donald Trump, abortion, immigration and the economy.
奥巴马的背书正值全国民主党人日益团结在杰克逊周围之际——尽管他的大选竞选之路起初走得并不顺利。今年7月，在6月份赢得党内初选的格雷厄姆·普拉特纳因遭到性侵指控而退出竞选，该指控他本人坚决予以否认。随后，民主党代表们在一次特别提名大会上选定杰克逊为该党候选人。
Obama’s endorsement also comes as national Democrats increasingly rally around Jackson after an unusual start to his general election campaign. Jackson became the Democratic nominee in July after Graham Platner, who won the party’s June primary, withdrew following a sexual assault allegation that he denied. Democratic delegates then selected Jackson at a special nominating convention.
堕胎问题已成为此次竞选的核心议题，而杰克逊在这一问题上的立场在其政治生涯中也发生了显著变化。
Abortion has emerged as a central issue in the race — and Jackson’s position on the issue has shifted significantly over his political career.
早年，杰克逊反对堕胎权，2003年和2010年他均获得了缅因州反堕胎组织“生命权联盟”的最高评分。2013年时，他仍表示自己反对堕胎，认为除强奸或乱伦情形外堕胎均应属违法行为。他还支持设置等待期以及为胎儿提供法律保护的各类限制措施。
Early in his career, Jackson opposed abortion rights and received perfect ratings from Maine Right to Life in 2003 and 2010. In 2013, he described himself as opposed to abortion and said it should be illegal except in cases of rape and incest. He also supported restrictions including a waiting period and legislation involving legal protections for fetuses.
不过近十年来，杰克逊的立场发生了转变。自2017年起，他开始投票反对将胎儿视为独立法律主体的相关法案；此后，他又多次获得美国计划生育联合会缅因州分会给出的满分评价。作为缅因州参议院议长，杰克逊还协助推动了2023年一项法律的出台，该法律规定：经医生判定确有医疗必要时，女性可进行更晚期的堕胎手术。
But Jackson’s position changed in the last decade. By 2017, he was voting against fetal-personhood legislation and he later received repeated 100% ratings from Planned Parenthood’s Maine chapter. As Maine Senate president, Jackson helped advance a 2023 law expanding access to abortion later in pregnancy when deemed medically necessary by a doctor.
杰克逊也坦率承认了这一立场转变，称与女性、医生及权益倡导者的交流让他对这一问题有了全新认识。
Jackson has openly acknowledged the shift, saying conversations with women, doctors and advocates changed his understanding of the issue.
“我逐渐明白自己以前错了，也意识到生育权本质上属于医疗保健范畴，”杰克逊周一在参加美国计划生育联合会举办的活动时说道。
“It just became clear to me that I was wrong and that reproductive rights is healthcare,” Jackson said at a Planned Parenthood event on Monday.
奥巴马在支持杰克逊的声明中强调了他的当前表现，并表示在“罗诉韦德案”被推翻后，杰克逊“帮助保护了缅因州的堕胎权”。这一议题也成为针对柯林斯的主要攻击点：她虽然支持堕胎权，但因其2018年投票确认最高法院大法官布雷特·卡瓦诺而受到 scrutiny；卡瓦诺后来在2022年推翻“罗诉韦德案”裁决的多数意见中发挥了作用。在两人首次辩论中，杰克逊多次就这一投票问题向柯林斯施压。
Obama highlighted Jackson’s current record in his endorsement, saying that after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Jackson “helped protect the right to an abortion in Maine.”The issue has also become a major line of attack against Collins, who supports abortion rights but has faced scrutiny over her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who later joined the high court majority in the 2022 decision overturning Roe. Jackson repeatedly pressed Collins over that vote during their first debate.
柯林斯在周二的辩论中表示：“我显然不同意布雷特·卡瓦诺在‘罗诉韦德案’中的投票立场。……我想指出，在这个舞台上，始终支持选择权的只有我一个人，那就是我。”
“I clearly don’t agree with how Brett Kavanaugh voted on Roe v. Wade. … I would point out that there’s only one of us on this stage who has always been pro-choice, and that’s me,” Collins said during Tuesday’s debate.
奥巴马在今年的中期选举中仅支持了少数候选人。他宣布支持爱荷华州的民主党参议员候选人乔什·图雷克，并曾与得克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科一同参加竞选活动。周四，他还宣布支持佐治亚州的民主党州长候选人凯莎·兰斯·博特姆斯。
Obama has made few endorsements in this year’s midterm elections. He announced his support for Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee, Josh Turek, and has appeared on the campaign trail with Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico. He also announced on Thursday his endorsement of Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Keisha Lance Bottoms.
这位前总统在支持杰克逊的视频最后，直接向缅因州选民呼吁，敦促他们在10月5日至19日的提前投票期间或选举日当天投下选票。
The former president ended his Jackson endorsement video with a direct appeal for Mainers to cast their ballots during the state’s early voting period Oct. 5-19 or on Election Day.
奥巴马说：“我们需要特洛伊在参议院为我们争取胜利。所以，这次千万不要弃权。”
“We need Troy to deliver for us in the Senate,” Obama said. “So do not sit this one out.”
奥巴马支持杰克逊，缅因州参议员竞选进入最后阶段 MS NOW
The post Obama endorses Jackson as Maine Senate race enters final stretch MS NOW