Susan Collins Seeks Re-Election In High-Stakes 2026 Midterm Race

Collins, who is the head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that she is the only Republican in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives from the six New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This is a big change from when she joined the Senate in 1997, when the region was more bipartisan.

Collins said, “I think that was much healthier. It was a much less polarized era, and it’s important to have voices of people who want to solve problems. I’m not one who tends to rant and rave on certain news shows. Instead, I like to bring people together to search for common ground.”

“What we need in this country is for those that are in the center to be as riled up and involved as those on the far left and the far right,” Collins said. “It is hard to get things done.”

The race will be closely watched.

Collins got some troubling news recently about her reelection in Maine.

Collins, who is considered the most centrist Republican in the Senate and has been popular in the state for a long time, has won tough races for Republicans in the past.

Experts view the race as highly competitive ahead of the 2026 midterms, attracting significant investment from both major parties.

A new Cygnal survey released on Monday showed Collins behind a generic Democratic candidate. This suggested that extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies could help her win over Mainers. Politico was the first to report on the poll.

According to the survey, 41% of those who answered said they would vote for Collins, while 49% said they would vote for a Democrat. The report said that she “starts behind but beats expectations.”

If the Republican senator votes to extend the tax benefits, the election would get closer.

“Collins consistently overperforms the GOP baseline, especially among college-educated women (+8 net), voters over 55 (+6), and swing voters (+10),” the polling memo reads.

The ACA, which was President Barack Obama’s main program, gave Congress the power to make those credits.

They let Americans with low incomes sign up for health insurance coverage. They were expanded in 2021 to cover more Americans during the pandemic.

If Congress doesn’t do anything, they will probably run out by the end of the year. As part of a deal with moderate Democratic senators to reopen the government, Senate Republicans are going to vote on the tax credit.

The poll revealed that 43% of people would vote for Collins if he votes to prolong the tax credits, while 45% would vote for the Democratic candidate. That still gives the Democrats a small edge, but it indicates that the battle is close. Continue reading…