Susan Collins
Trails Troy Jackson 46-49% in a UNH poll while holding an $11M fundraising edge. As Senate Appropriations chair she is pressing ICE for body cameras after a fatal Biddeford shooting, battling Trump's White House spending expansion, and co-signing a letter urging CMS to fix a rural health program.
Susan Collins is running for a sixth Senate term from Maine and trailing her Democratic opponent, state senator Troy Jackson, 46% to 49% in a University of New Hampshire poll, though she holds a commanding fundraising edge of over $11 million to Jackson's roughly $1 million. Her 2020 reelection was a narrow 51-49 affair, and this race looks just as competitive.
As Senate Appropriations chair, Collins is fighting on several fronts at once. She met Acting ICE Director David Venturella on July 30 and secured his commitment to prioritize body-camera delivery to Maine, weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford on July 13. Collins called for an impartial investigation and a pause on ICE traffic stops; the White House briefly complied, then reversed. She faces sharp criticism from the Democratic field, including former candidate Nirav Shah, who blamed her for giving ICE a blank check with no oversight, and from constituents. A Mount Desert constituent called ICE a "fascist army" and demanded Collins's removal, citing the Biddeford shooting where a father was shot through his windshield beside his three-year-old daughter.
Collins is also battling the Trump administration's expansion of White House spending control, inserting guardrails into spending bills and working with Senator Patty Murray. She urged OMB to withdraw portions of a proposed rule giving political appointees power over federal research grants, insisting funding decisions be "based on scientific merit." She co-signed a letter to CMS urging restructuring of the Rural Health Transformation Program, warning it may disadvantage the rural facilities it was designed to save.
Constituent pressure cuts both ways. Union worker Glenn Chateauvert of Bath Iron Works endorsed her, citing Navy shipbuilding funding that protects shipyard jobs, while retired executive Wayne Clark argues her $1.5 billion in earmarks is outweighed by tariff losses and Medicaid cuts. Elon Musk's America PAC has authorized up to $120 million for GOP midterms, including her race. A Schumer-linked outside group ran TV ads in Maine falsely claiming Collins voted to cut Medicaid; PolitiFact debunked both claims.
On their plate
Collins trails Troy Jackson 46% to 49% in a University of New Hampshire poll but holds a massive fundraising advantage — over $11 million raised versus Jackson's roughly $1 million. She is attacking Jackson as a "democratic socialist" whose platform mirrors withdrawn nominee Graham Platner's, while Jackson frames her as a Trump "rubber stamp." Her 2020 reelection was a narrow 51-49 margin, and this race appears equally competitive. Elon Musk's America PAC has authorized up to $120 million for GOP midterms including her Maine race.
After an ICE agent fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford on July 13, Collins called for an impartial investigation, DOJ cooperation with Maine law enforcement, and a pause on ICE traffic stops. She met Acting ICE Director David Venturella on July 30 and secured his commitment to prioritize body-camera delivery to Maine. She blames the Democratic government shutdown for delaying body-camera and de-escalation training funding, while Democratic opponents and constituents attack her for backing ICE funding without adequate oversight.
As Senate Appropriations chair, Collins is pushing back against the Trump administration's expansion of White House spending control by inserting guardrails into spending bills, restoring University of Maine funding, and working with Senator Patty Murray. She urged OMB to withdraw portions of a proposed rule granting political appointees power over federal research grants, insisting funding decisions be "based on scientific merit and value, rather than political ideology." She acknowledged she is "not going to be able to prevail on everything."
Collins faces constituent calls for her removal citing her 1996 two-term pledge, her roughly 95% vote alignment with Trump, and ICE funding. A Mount Desert constituent called ICE a "fascist army" after the Biddeford shooting; a Cape Elizabeth resident published an open letter demanding she step aside. Retired executive Wayne Clark argues her $1.5 billion in earmarks is outweighed by tariff losses, Canadian tourism decline, and 30,000 Mainers losing Medicaid. Yet she continues to draw moderate-conservative endorsements, including from a Bath Iron Works union worker and constituents crediting her personal responsiveness.
Key relationships
Collins's general election opponent, a progressive Democrat running on labor rights and Medicare for All. Collins attacks him as a "democratic socialist" whose "everything should be free" agenda would burden taxpayers; Jackson calls her a Trump "rubber stamp."
Collins is working with Senator Murray to insert guardrails into spending bills against the Trump administration's expansion of White House spending control.
Acting ICE Director whom Collins met on July 30 to press for body-camera delivery to Maine following the fatal Biddeford shooting. She secured his commitment to prioritize the rollout and plans periodic follow-up meetings on reform, training, and recruit vetting.
Collins chaired a Senate hearing with Defense Secretary Hegseth and demanded Capitol Police remove anti-war protestors who interrupted four times, declaring "We will have order in the hearing room."
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