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Reproductive Rights Podcast
Troy Jackson on Changing His Mind, Taking on Susan Collins, and Why Maine is a BFD – My Body. My Pod. Episode 27
Troy Jackson once opposed abortion rights. Then he listened, changed his mind, and went on to help pass some of the strongest reproductive freedom protections in the country.
Watch & Listen
Troy Jackson joins Mini Timmaraju in the latest episode of My Body. My Pod. to talk about his journey from opposing abortion rights to becoming one of Maine’s strongest reproductive freedom champions.
What changed his mind? What did he do once he realized he was wrong? And what can his story teach us about how we actually change hearts, minds, and laws?
They also talk about why abortion and affordability are deeply connected, what it means to fight for working people, and why the race between Troy Jackson and Susan Collins is a BFD for reproductive freedom in 2026.
Key Takeaways in this Episode
- Troy Jackson once opposed abortion rights. Conversations with women, doctors, and people in his own community changed his perspective. As he tells Mini: “I just started to understand that I was wrong on this issue.”
- Changing his mind was only the beginning. As president of the Maine Senate, Troy helped pass some of the strongest reproductive freedom protections in the country and expand access to care.
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- Troy argues that abortion is an affordability issue. Healthcare, child care, food, housing, and the cost of raising a family are all connected to whether and when someone decides to have a child.
- Troy’s race against Susan Collins puts two very different records on reproductive freedom before Maine voters in 2026.
- For Troy, the fight for reproductive freedom is part of a much bigger fight over who has power in this country—and whether government works for powerful interests or working people.
People Can Change Their Minds
“I just started to understand that I was wrong on this issue.” —Troy Jackson
Troy Jackson didn’t always support abortion rights.
He grew up in a Catholic community in northern Maine, and when he first entered the legislature, he voted for abortion restrictions.
So what changed?
People talked to him. Women. Doctors. People in his community who helped him understand what these laws actually meant for their lives and their health.
And Troy listened.
“I just started to understand that I was wrong on this issue,” he tells Mini.
But changing his mind was only the beginning.
As president of the Maine Senate, Troy helped pass some of the strongest reproductive freedom protections in the country. He fought to expand access to abortion and contraception and make sure low-income Mainers could actually get the care those rights promised.
And when he heard from women who had been forced to leave Maine during devastating pregnancies to get the care they needed?
He listened again. He apologized that Maine’s laws had failed them. And then he went back to work to change those laws.
That’s what makes Troy’s story so powerful. People can listen. People can learn. People can change. And when our elected leaders do, they have a responsibility to act.
Who Should Make Your Healthcare Decisions?
“I’m a logger. I shouldn’t be deciding somebody’s healthcare.” —Troy Jackson
For Troy, the answer is pretty simple.
Politicians shouldn’t be making decisions that belong to patients and their doctors.
He knows that in a particularly personal way. Troy spent his life working in the Maine woods—not medicine.
“I’m a logger,” he tells Mini. “I shouldn’t be deciding somebody’s healthcare.”
Neither should any other politician.
Abortion Is an Affordability Issue
Reproductive freedom isn’t separate from the economic issues families are worried about every day.
It’s part of them.
Healthcare. Child care. Housing. Food. Diapers. The basic cost of raising a family.
Troy talks with Mini about why deciding if and when to have a child can’t be separated from whether someone can afford to care for themselves and their family.
For a guy who got into politics because he thought working people were getting a raw deal, that connection matters.
Because reproductive freedom isn’t just about whether you have a right on paper. It’s about whether you actually have the freedom and resources to make decisions about your own life.
We are the Majority
“There’s more of us than there are of them.” —Troy Jackson
Long before Troy Jackson was president of the Maine Senate, he was a logger in northern Maine watching powerful interests make decisions that hurt working people.
So he and other loggers did something about it: they organized and blocked the Canadian border for a week.
That fight eventually brought Troy into politics.
And all these years later, he still sees the same basic fight everywhere: a small number of powerful people with enormous money and influence versus a whole lot of regular people who can have power when they stand together.
“There’s more of us than there are of them,” Troy tells Mini.
That’s true in the fight for working people. It’s true in the fight for reproductive freedom. And it’s true at the ballot box.
Maine Is a BFD in 2026
And then there’s Susan Collins.
Troy is running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, where voters will have a choice between two very different records on reproductive freedom.
Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh later joined the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Now, she says she doesn’t even regret her vote.
Troy once held the wrong position on abortion. He says so. He listened to the people affected by those policies, changed his mind, and then used his power to expand reproductive freedom in Maine.
That contrast matters.
And it’s one reason Maine is a BFD in 2026.
📣 Take Action: Get Involved Ahead of the Midterms
The 2026 midterm elections will help determine who has the power to protect reproductive freedom in Congress—and Maine is one of the states to watch.
There are plenty of ways to get involved, whether you want to knock doors, make calls, send texts, share information online, or talk to the people in your life.
3 Ways to Take Action Now
Contact Your State Lawmakers
Your state lawmakers have the power to pass legislation that will shape our daily lives. Let them know you support reproductive freedom, and you're paying attention.
Join the Repro for All Volunteer Elections Team
We're pulling out all the stops to ensure voters get out and vote for reproductive freedom candidates up and down the ballot, and we need your help to make it happen!
Social Share: My Body. My Ballot.
Help get out the vote in 2026! Help spread the word and encourage your friends, family, and community to make a plan to vote for reproductive freedom.
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ABOUT THE PODCAST
MY BODY. MY POD. WITH MINI TIMMARAJU.
The fight for reproductive freedom is more urgent than ever.
That’s why we’re bringing you My Body. My Pod. with Mini Timmaraju, a reproductive freedom podcast.
If you’re into building a nationwide movement to protect and expand health justice, reproductive equity, and the power of people to control their own lives, this show is for you.
Hear from leaders and changemakers who share wisdom from the front lines, stories of the real struggles people are facing every day, and a vision for the future we’re determined to win.
Hosted by Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. Available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Reproductive Freedom for All is made up of members across the country who believe that everybody should be free to control their own bodies and lives—and we want you to be a part of it.
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