Susan Collins, the Republican Senator from Maine, is ambitiously vying for a sixth term in Congress in November 2026. What a long tenure it’s been since her initial election to the upper chamber in 1996. But as recent opinion polls send ambiguous signals about her public appeal, it’s clear that people are wavering. Indeed, surveys are divided with some showing a disappointment in her governance, while few reassuringly posit a minor positive sentiment.
Of the 100 Senators, a total of 53 are Republicans, including Collins, and the remaining portion leans towards the Democratic party. In this context, if the Democrats manage to snatch away Collins’ seat in Maine, they would consider it a notable achievement. Their intention to gain control over the Senate in November 2026, is reflective of their attempt to challenge President Trump’s policy ideas during his last two years in the White House.
Culminating the suspense, Graham Platner, a 40-year-old military veteran turned businessman, recently made public his participation in the Democratic primary to contest against Collins in November 2026. Jordan Wood, previously vice president of the leftist campaign group End Citizens United, has similar aspirations for the Maine Senate race. Governor Janet Mills has also been rumoured to enter the race, thanks to the heavy coaxing from national Democratic stalwarts.
Regardless of whoever emerges as the victor in the Democratic primary, they will eventually stand against Susan Collins in the final battle set for November 2026. As of now, polling seems insubstantial given that the general election is still far off. However, Senator Collins will be fretting at the whispers of discontent mirrored in her approval rating from sporadic polling.
An exploratory survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire on 846 registered Maine voters between June 19 and 23 found Collins sunken in disapproval. It revealed a strikingly negative net approval rating of -43 percent. If this wasn’t gloomy enough, it was made clearer through the mere 14 percent of participants who had favorable views on her governance.
In contrast, Governor Mills elicited positive resonance, scoring an overall approval rating of +10. She was privy to flattering views from 51 percent of Mainers, while only 41 percent reflected negativity. Another assessment by Like Research Partners raised similar concerns regarding Collins, with only 31 percent expressing favorability out of 300 Maine voters while an alarming 64 percent expressed a displeasure.
However, every cloud has a silver lining, and it seems Collins found hers in a Pan Atlantic Research poll. Surveying 820 likely Maine voters from May 12-26, it revealed a net positive rating of mere four, with 49 percent of voters approving versus 45 percent disapproving. This is a glimmer of hope for a Senator otherwise plagued by negative sentiments.
Maine, a state Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election by a slim seven points, continues to remain in the Democrats’ crosshairs for the 2026 Senate elections. While Collins has a track record of irritating President Trump by often opposing his agendas, contrary to the Republican party line, it does not squash Democratic interest.
Graham Platner, fancying his shot at the Democratic primary candidature, got openly critical. In his campaign video, he termed Collins’ deliberations and moderation as nothing more than a sham. Speaking further to Politico, he retorted over being labelled a liberal. To him, a competitive pistol shooter, the label seemed to be a delightfully absurd proposition.
On the other hand, Jordan Wood construed Maine’s citizens deserve action, not merely concern voiced by the senator. He affirmed he wouldn’t wait for anyone else’s decision to fight for the state. Governor Mills, on being questioned about a potential Senate run in July, offered a noncommittal response. She admitted to having no in-born drive to be a part of the chaos in Washington D.C.
Certainly, the Democrats ardently wish to overpower Collins in 2026 but the question that lingers is: who will be their champion? The polling exposes Collins’ dipping popularity back home, however, it’s still uncertain whether her occasional revolts against Trump could actually earn her any sympathizers from the moderate side of the spectrum.
Maine’s 2026 Senate race is all geared up to witness some intensely heated campaigning and strategic maneuvering. As Collins aspires for another term, a mixed bag of Democrats is working hard to contest her incumbency. The opinion polls, with their diverse ratings, are signaling both uncertainty and angst in the political landscape.
In this melee, overshadowed by Trump’s hardline policy agenda, the Democrats’ fervor and Collins’ determination take center stage. The coming months will shape the narrative as fluctuating approval ratings, speculative primaries, and the looming general election make their impact. It is imperative to remember that politics is, after all, a game of perception and the battlefield of Maine is no different.
The post Desperate Democrats Trying to Muscle in on Collins’ Maine Seat appeared first on Real News Now.
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