On June 9, 2026, Senator Susan Collins ran unopposed and advanced from the Republican primary in Maine, setting up another high-stakes reelection battle. On Up First, a host noted that "If Democrats have any chance at winning the Senate majority in November, picking up Maine is all but necessary" to flip the seat away from her. Despite her long tenure, her legacy remains a battleground. On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor was scathing, calling her "one of the, you know, 50 enablers of Donald Trump" who, despite her "hemming and hawing," ultimately votes with her caucus.
Yet on the ground, some voters are leaning toward her out of sheer pragmatism. Reporting on The Daily, one Maine voter admitted, "I'm not a fan of Susan Collins by any stretch, but I know that she won't embarrass the state". This pragmatism has frustrated national Democrats for years. As Katie Glueck pointed out on The Daily, "Maine loomed so large in the minds of Democrats because they thought last time that Susan Collins was on the ballot, that she was finally going to lose. Instead, she wins".
Meanwhile, her actual legislative power is quietly drawing focus. On The Bulwark Podcast, Tim Miller noted that following unauthorized U.S. airstrikes on Iran, "nobody in Congress has appropriated anything", making Susan Collins's role as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee critical to watch. Whether she uses that leverage to check the executive branch or falls back into the party line will define the final leg of her campaign.