BANGOR, Maine—Across nearly three decades, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has proven politically resilient, winning repeat victories in a state that hasn’t backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.
Since her first Senate win in November 1996, Collins has survived multiple challenges from Democrats, culminating in her 2020 upset victory against Sara Gideon when polls showed the senator down significantly before election day. Then-candidate Joe Biden would win Maine by more than 9 percentage points, and Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8.
But Collins is facing a vastly different political environment in 2026. President Donald Trump’s approval rating is at historic lows, and surveys paint a picture of an electorate that is increasingly blaming him for rising gas and grocery prices after Trump started a war with Iran earlier this year. …