Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins is hoping to secure a sixth term in Congress in November 2026 having first been elected to the upper chamber in 1996.

Recent opinion polls have given a mixed perspective of Collins’ fortunes, with two finding she has a strongly negative public rating while one gave her a slight positive result.

Newsweek contacted Senator Collins for comment on Saturday via online inquiry form outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Currently there are 53 Republican Senators in the Senate, including Collins, against 47 who caucus with the Democrats. Taking Collins’ seat in Maine would be a significant victory for the Democrats, who are hoping to take control of the Senate in November, 2026, which would greatly increase their ability to frustrate President Trump’s policy agenda during his final two years in the White House.

What To Know

On Tuesday Graham Platner, a 40-year-old businessman and military veteran, announced he is joining the Democratic primary for the right to take on Collins in November 2026.

Jordan Wood, the former vice president of liberal campaign group End Citizens United, is also seeking the Democratic nomination for the Maine Senate race and has raised $1.6 million according to Politico.

There is speculation Maine Governor Janet Mills could also decide to run with Maine Public Radio reporting she has been heavily lobbied by national Democratic figures to launch a Senate bid.

Whichever candidate wins the Democratic primary will have to face Collins in November 2026. While relatively little polling has been conducted due to the distance to the general election her potential opponents will likely be buoyed by her approval rating in some recent polling.

A survey of 846 registered Maine voters conducted by the University of New Hampshire between June 19 and 23 found Collins had a net approval rating of -43 percent, with only 14 percent of those surveyed approving of her performance.

By contrast, the survey gave Governor Mills an overall approval rating of plus 10, with 51 percent of Mainers viewing her favorably and 41 percent unfavorably.

Similarly a Like Research Partners poll of 300 Maine voters over February 1-15 gave Collins a net rating of -33 percent, with 31 percent having a favorable view of her while 64 percent had an unfavorable one.

However in better news for Collins a Pan Atlantic Research poll of 820 Maine likely voters over May 12-26 gave her a net positive rating of four, with 49 percent of voters approving of her against 45 percent who disapproved.

Kamala Harris carried Maine by seven points in the 2024 presidential election and the state is seen as one of the Republicans top Senate targets for 2026.

Collins has at times frustrated President Trump, opposing him on a number of issues including Pete Hegseth‘s appointment as defense secretary and additional tariffs on Canadian produce.

What People Are Saying

In a campaign video, Democratic primary candidate Platner said: “I’m not fooled by this fake charade of Collins’ deliberations and moderation. The difference between Susan Collins and Ted Cruz is at least Ted Cruz is honest about selling us out and not giving a damn.”

Speaking to Politico he added: “To call me a liberal, I think is fairly amusing. I mean, I’m a competitive pistol shooter. That’s what I do on the weekends.

“I’m a firearms instructor. I spent multiple years, obviously, in the service utilizing firearms. I also grew up in rural Maine, where guns are a part of our existence.”

Jordan Wood said: “Mainers deserve more from our senator than concern without action and I’m not waiting on anyone else’s decision to fight for our state.”

Referring to a Senate run in July, Governor Mills said: “I mean, look, I wasn’t born with a burning desire to be in Washington, D.C.—any month of the year.

“And what’s going on there is a bit chaotic. It’s not something anybody would want to jump into and be a part of automatically.”

What Happens Next

Democrats will be hopeful of beating Collins in 2026 though it remains to be seen who their candidate will be. Polling suggests Collins is not popular in her state, but she could get a boost from moderate voters for standing up to Trump on certain issues.