A new poll finds that most Maine voters would prefer Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to retire rather than run for another term.
First elected in 1996, Collins, 72, has built a reputation as a moderate by breaking with her party on select issues.
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll shows that 71% of Mainers believe Collins should not seek another term, while 21% think she should, according to a Just the News report.
Opposition to another Collins term breaks down as 84% of Democrats, 67% of independents, and 57% of Republicans. There is no limit on the number of six-year terms a senator may serve. Collins’s current term expires in 2026, the outlet noted.
That said, Collins’ plans for reelection could complicate Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the Senate in the 2026 midterms, according to a November report.
At the time, the Maine Republican told The Washington Examiner that she intends to run for reelection in two years. Maine supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race this year and is seen as a potential pickup opportunity for Democrats in the midterms, especially if a “blue wave” similar to the one that materialized during President Donald Trump’s 2018 midterm occurs.
“I’m focused on the appropriations process, not elections right now, but my intention is to run,” Collins said, according to the Examiner.
Although the state typically leans blue, Collins has managed to win over independent and Democratic voters in previous elections.
Regardless of whether Collins runs, Maine’s Senate race is expected to be one of the most competitive of the midterms. A president’s party typically loses seats in the first midterm election, so Democrats will be hoping for a favorable national climate that could give them a chance to unseat Collins, who was a crucial vote in battles over GOP-led legislation and Trump Cabinet nominees, Newsweek reported.
Collins was last up for reelection in 2020, when she defeated former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon with 51 percent of the vote, surpassing polls that showed Gideon with a lead in the state.
That was the closest race of Collins’ career, as some Democrats turned against her during the first Trump administration, especially after her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In 2014, Collins won reelection by a 37-point margin.
Notably, Maine uses a ranked-choice voting system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference. This could prove decisive in 2026 if Democrats manage to keep Collins below 50 percent, as Sara Gideon came close to doing in 2020, noted Newsweek.
Beyond Maine, there will be few clear opportunities for Democrats in Senate races. North Carolina, where Republican Senator Thom Tillis is up for reelection, is likely their best chance to flip a seat, though Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in the state since 2008.
“Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Ohio (with a special election) are viewed as other states Democrats are likely to invest their efforts in, but all backed Trump by double digits this year, underscoring the difficulty posed by the upcoming Senate map for the party,” Newsweek noted further.
Collins is expected to play a prominent role over the next two years, as one of the few moderate Republican senators who could provide a check on Trump. She has already expressed skepticism about the president-elect’s potential nomination of Representative Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Maine proved resilient for Democrats this year. Harris’ 7-point victory in the state was just 2 points shy of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 win, despite the national popular vote shifting nearly 6 points toward Republicans.
Meanwhile, Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, easily won reelection in Maine this month. The race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District remains undecided, with Democratic Representative Jared Golden holding a narrow lead in a district that Trump carried easily.