Sen. Susan Collins Launches Bid for 6th Term

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Feb. 10 said she is running for another term in the U.S. Senate.

“I’m running,” Collins said as she unpacked a pair of running shoes in a video released by her campaign and shared on social media.

Collins, 73, one of the longest-tenured senators, has been in the Senate since 1996. She has held the seat representing Maine even as other Republican members in the northeast have exited Congress.

She is the only Republican left in a New England state and chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Collins wrote in an op-ed published on Feb. 10 that her track record working with both Republicans and Democrats should lead to a sixth term.

“Too many current and aspiring members of Congress think their job is to either be a rubber stamp or a reflexive obstructionist,” she said.

“As the most bipartisan senator, I reject those extreme philosophies. Instead, I routinely partner with members on both sides of the aisle to build consensus on policies aimed at affordability, economic stability and opportunity. Similarly, I have worked with presidents of both parties, supporting them when I believe they are right and opposing when I think their policies are wrong. At times, that independence has earned me disapproval from both sides, but my focus remains on you, not party leaders or online critics.”

President Donald Trump has criticized Collins, who has regularly cast votes against his nominees and agenda items, such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Collins and other Republicans who voted against a measure in January “should never be elected to office again,” Trump said in a Jan. 8 post on Truth Social.

Trump has not endorsed any other candidates in the race, unlike in other contested primaries.

Carmen Calabrese, a restaurant owner, and Dan Smeriglio, an ex-police officer, are among the Republican hopefuls.

Candidates from the Democratic Party include Maine Gov. Janet Mills and David Evans, a former policy writer for the Department of Defense.

Republicans currently have 53 seats in the Senate. Democrats and nominal independents who caucus with the Democrats hold the other seats. Most legislation requires 60 votes in the upper chamber.

In the midterm election, 33 seats are up for grabs. Republicans control 20 of those seats. One is held by Collins, representing a state won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Democrats control 13 seats, including two seats in states that Trump took in the 2024 race.

The Cook Political Report, in its most recent rankings, lists four toss-up races, including the Maine race, in addition to three other races that are close to being toss-ups.