Sen. Susan Collins' Maine Senate bid hinges on her relationship with Donald Trump

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, is running for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate. She faces Democratic hopes of flipping the seat, with combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner as the party’s nominee. Collins has a record of high name‑recognition, a long streak of consecutive votes, and a history of securing federal funding for Maine.

Collins is one of the few GOP senators who has tried to distance herself from former President Donald Trump, a strategy that has cost other Republicans like Senators John Cornyn (TX) and Bill Cassidy (LA) their primaries. Trump has criticized Collins publicly but has not campaigned against her. Democrats need to win four Senate seats to take control, and Maine is among the key targets alongside Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina. Platner has attacked Collins for supporting Trump’s Supreme Court nominees that led to the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. The race highlights the continuing influence of Trump on Republican incumbents and the broader battle for Senate control in the 2026 elections.