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Susan Collins Launches 2026 Re‑Election Bid in Pivotal Maine Senate Race

Nonpartisan ratings place the contest in toss‑up territory with control of the Senate potentially at stake.

Overview

  • Collins, 73, made her sixth‑term bid official in a brief video unboxing New Balance running shoes.
  • She will face the winner of a competitive June Democratic primary between Gov. Janet Mills and progressive Graham Platner.
  • Booked advertising is already extensive: Senate Leadership Fund reserved $36.8 million, One Nation rolled out a $5.5 million campaign, Senate Majority PAC reserved $24 million, and Duty and Honor added $2 million.
  • Federal filings show Collins begins 2026 with roughly $8 million cash on hand after Mills and Platner outraised her in Q4.
  • President Trump recently attacked Collins over her vote on a Venezuela war‑powers measure, highlighting GOP tensions even as party leaders line up behind her.