Sen. Susan Collins formally announced her reelection bid in Maine, a boon for Republicans’ efforts to keep the Senate that also sets up another competitive election in the Pine Tree State.
“At a time when Washington seems broken and trust is low, Maine needs experienced, steady leadership and a senator committed to the hard work it takes to get things done,” Collins wrote in an op-ed in her hometown Bangor Daily News on Tuesday.
Her campaign also released a video on social media of Collins opening a box of New Balance shoes — a brand with manufacturing facilities in Maine — and declaring she is running for reelection.
The announcement, while long expected, is welcomed by Republicans in Washington, with Collins widely regarded as the only GOP candidate who could win in Maine this year.
She is the only Republican seeking reelection in a state won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
“Senator Susan Collins is a battle-tested leader whose fierce independence has led to historic wins for Maine,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a statement. “I’m confident Susan will defeat whoever emerges from the messy Democrat primary, because Mainers know they can always count on her.”
Collins has at times drawn the ire of President Donald Trump since he retook office last year by voting against him on a handful of key initiatives. But those breaks with the president may also be electorally beneficial for Collins, whose reelection coalition in Maine includes many Democrats and independents.
Collins last won reelection in 2020 despite Joe Biden also easily winning the state that year.
She is likely to face either Gov. Janet Mills or political newcomer Graham Platner in November. The Democratic primary is set for June. The race is expected to be among the most expensive this year, and Republican outside groups have already begun spending on pro-Collins ads in the state.
Democrats are hoping to tie Collins to Trump in a blue midterm environment and capitalize on lingering voter outrage over the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned nationwide abortion rights protections — and Collins’ votes for judges who supported it.
Collins “now faces some of the lowest approval ratings of her career because Mainers see through her political games and fake shows of concern,” Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a statement. “In November, we will reject her at the ballot box.”
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