Collins Draws Battle Lines: Maine Senate Race Puts Nation’s Future at Stake

Paul Riverbank, 2/11/2026Susan Collins, Maine’s veteran senator, seeks a sixth term, setting up a pivotal, high-stakes Senate race. Her independent record and bipartisan moves make this contest a national battleground, with both parties pouring resources into a campaign that could determine control of the chamber.

For Collins, seniority and independence are twin pillars of her pitch. She is quick to remind voters that experience matters in a body as unwieldy as the Senate, as do the relationships she’s forged on both sides of the aisle. Of course, none of this is lost on her opponents—Democrats, laser-focused on Maine as a ticket to flipping the Senate, are bringing heavy artillery. Governor Janet Mills is in the race, fresh off some big wins of her own, facing a primary challenge from Graham Platner, a veteran who now grows oysters along the rugged coast. Their contest is heating up, but the national spotlight is already fixed on November.

Observers with long memories might recall the blood, sweat, and dollars poured into Collins’ last battle, when the state’s airwaves were swallowed by attack ads and political groups emptied their wallets. Collins managed to cling to her seat, even as Donald Trump lost Maine by a wide margin—a testament to her complex, sometimes confounding, relationship with both parties. She’s argued with Trump, casting a ballot against his flagship bills and some high-profile nominations. “Should never be elected to office again,” Trump fumed, after Collins supported reining in presidential war powers.

Yet any suggestion that Collins is a maverick all the way down bumps up against reality. She’s sided with Republican leadership when it’s counted; those on the left say her talk of bipartisanship doesn’t always square with her voting record. Still, there are a few moments that have truly set her apart—her refusal to kill the Affordable Care Act, her vote to convict Trump during his impeachment trial, and a key role securing federal infrastructure funds that have kept many projects in Maine afloat. “I consistently approach issues with an eye toward pragmatic results rather than through the distorting lens of ideology,” she’s said.

Of late, Collins’ influence has only grown. At the helm of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she can steer considerable resources home, an advantage not lost on her constituents or rivals. In a Senate barely balanced, that sort of clout is hard to overstate.

Still, the landscape is shifting beneath her feet. Maine’s Democratic lean of recent cycles gives the opposition an argument for change; national GOP groups, meanwhile, view Collins as a cornerstone in their shrinking New England foothold and will spend accordingly. The stakes are huge: The chamber’s majority could rest on a handful of toss-up races, Maine among the most pivotal.

One thing you’ll hear, even from her critics, is that Collins is remarkably durable, a survivor in the bruising modern game. Yet in a campaign where both age and energy are emerging as themes, at 73, Collins finds herself fending off a new set of questions. Her supporters answer with a nod to all that seniority buys—not just for the senator, but for the state itself.

It won’t just be another election night in Maine this year. It’s a contest with outsized relevance, capable of reshaping the entire national agenda. Three decades in, Susan Collins remains an enigma: a Republican who persists where many have fallen, still the face of political unpredictability up north.

There’s a certain rhythm to Maine politics, and if you’ve been following it over the past twenty-odd years, odds are you know the name Susan Collins by heart. The senator, who’s now seeking her sixth go-round in Washington, has a knack for outlasting trends—even the ones that have turned her state a consistent shade of blue in presidential elections. When she made her campaign official this week, it wasn’t with fanfare but with a pointed note in the local paper. “True leaders bring both sides together to seek common ground,” she wrote, drawing a quiet line between the current noise of American politics and the brand she’s built: workhorse, not show horse.For Collins, seniority and independence are twin pillars of her pitch. She is quick to remind voters that experience matters in a body as unwieldy as the Senate, as do the relationships she’s forged on both sides of the aisle. Of course, none of this is lost on her opponents—Democrats, laser-focused on Maine as a ticket to flipping the Senate, are bringing heavy artillery. Governor Janet Mills is in the race, fresh off some big wins of her own, facing a primary challenge from Graham Platner, a veteran who now grows oysters along the rugged coast. Their contest is heating up, but the national spotlight is already fixed on November.Observers with long memories might recall the blood, sweat, and dollars poured into Collins’ last battle, when the state’s airwaves were swallowed by attack ads and political groups emptied their wallets. Collins managed to cling to her seat, even as Donald Trump lost Maine by a wide margin—a testament to her complex, sometimes confounding, relationship with both parties. She’s argued with Trump, casting a ballot against his flagship bills and some high-profile nominations. “Should never be elected to office again,” Trump fumed, after Collins supported reining in presidential war powers.Yet any suggestion that Collins is a maverick all the way down bumps up against reality. She’s sided with Republican leadership when it’s counted; those on the left say her talk of bipartisanship doesn’t always square with her voting record. Still, there are a few moments that have truly set her apart—her refusal to kill the Affordable Care Act, her vote to convict Trump during his impeachment trial, and a key role securing federal infrastructure funds that have kept many projects in Maine afloat. “I consistently approach issues with an eye toward pragmatic results rather than through the distorting lens of ideology,” she’s said.Of late, Collins’ influence has only grown. At the helm of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she can steer considerable resources home, an advantage not lost on her constituents or rivals. In a Senate barely balanced, that sort of clout is hard to overstate.Still, the landscape is shifting beneath her feet. Maine’s Democratic lean of recent cycles gives the opposition an argument for change; national GOP groups, meanwhile, view Collins as a cornerstone in their shrinking New England foothold and will spend accordingly. The stakes are huge: The chamber’s majority could rest on a handful of toss-up races, Maine among the most pivotal.One thing you’ll hear, even from her critics, is that Collins is remarkably durable, a survivor in the bruising modern game. Yet in a campaign where both age and energy are emerging as themes, at 73, Collins finds herself fending off a new set of questions. Her supporters answer with a nod to all that seniority buys—not just for the senator, but for the state itself.It won’t just be another election night in Maine this year. It’s a contest with outsized relevance, capable of reshaping the entire national agenda. Three decades in, Susan Collins remains an enigma: a Republican who persists where many have fallen, still the face of political unpredictability up north.