U.S. Sen. Susan Collins committed Tuesday to a 2026 campaign for a sixth term that would make her the longest-serving senator in Maine history.
The Republican announced her run in a short YouTube video in which she unboxes a pair of New Balance sneakers. It was a widely expected move in a race that lies at the center of the battle for control of the Senate for the second straight election cycle.
Collins fended off that heavily nationalized challenge from then-Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon in 2020 that smashed state political spending records at $200 million from campaigns and outside groups. This year figures to bring an even bigger race to the Pine Tree State.
Republicans have already spent heavily on Collins’ behalf, with $42.6 million in ad time reserved to boost her through Election Day, according to AdImpact data. Democrats have fought back with just $9.7 million to date as they deal with a hot primary between Gov. Janet Mills and progressive political newcomer Graham Platner of Sullivan.
Platner has drawn heavy attention and outraised both Collins and Mills in the last three months of 2025. The 41-year-old oyster farmer has shaken up the race by embodying the Democratic debate about age and ideology while running against a 78-year-old governor. Mills has pledged to serve just one term and run on her public fights with President Donald Trump.
Collins was once the state’s most popular politician. Her coalition was damaged in Trump’s first term. Democrats ran hard at Collins following her 2018 vote for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The senator is now the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, leveraging the seniority that she ran on in 2020.
She won then despite trailing in every single public poll in the race. The environment will be challenging again for her this year. Recent polling from Morning Consult found 41% approval for Collins in Democratic-leaning Maine.
