Susan Collins Launches Reelection Campaign in Crucial Maine Senate Race, Setting Stage for 2024 Political Showdown

PORTLAND, Maine – Senator Susan Collins, a prominent Republican figure, announced on Tuesday her intention to seek reelection, hoping to maintain her influential seat in Maine amidst a vigorous Democratic push to unseat her. This race holds significant weight as it could ultimately decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Collins, now 73, is preparing for a challenging campaign that will undoubtedly put her seasoned political acumen to the test. Over her five terms, she has built a reputation as a representative of Maine’s independent spirit, often finding herself at odds with former President Donald Trump on certain issues, yet generally backing his policies.

As she embarks on her quest for a sixth term, Collins faces criticism related to immigration enforcement strategies that have stirred controversy nationwide. A recent operation in Maine resulted in numerous arrests, drawing fire for allegedly targeting individuals without criminal records, a move that might pose a political risk to Republican candidates.

In response, Collins has claimed to have intervened to halt the influx of federal agents in Maine, citing direct discussions with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as instrumental in this decision.

Nonetheless, her Democratic adversaries argue that Collins has not done enough, highlighting her reluctance to call for Secretary Noem’s dismissal and her support for a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The Democrats are setting their sights on gaining four more seats to reclaim the Senate majority, with Maine, along with North Carolina, Alaska, and Ohio, being key battlegrounds in this effort.

Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and influential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.

Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.

Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal filings. The first-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet officially launched her campaign during the filing period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.

Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016, voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in backing a failed effort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to office again.”

But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.

Notably, Collins voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points.

Collins has remained in office despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.

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Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.