A new statewide poll shows deep trouble ahead for Senator Susan Collins, with a majority of Maine residents signaling that they do not believe she deserves to be reelected. According to a survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire and the American Association of Public Opinion Research, 71 percent of those polled said Collins should not return to Washington for another term. Only 21 percent think she deserves reelection, while 8 percent remain unsure or have no opinion.
Collins, who has increasingly distanced herself from President Trump by opposing his tariff policies and siding with Democrats on protecting Medicaid funding, is now facing backlash from within her own party. More than half of Maine Republicans 53 percent say she should not be reelected. Only 40 percent still support her, and another 6 percent are undecided.
The senator’s numbers are especially dismal among younger voters. Over half of respondents aged 18 to 34 are against Collins running for another term. Only about a quarter in that age group back her, with 7 percent saying they have no opinion.
The poll also tested the waters for potential challengers. Moderate Democratic Congressman Jared Golden was seen as a possible contender, although 62 percent said they do not want him to run. Just 28 percent support a Golden Senate bid, and 9 percent remain unsure. Governor Janet Mills, meanwhile, has already ruled out a Senate run.
Collins’s situation is worsening at a time when tensions are running high between Trump loyalists and Republicans who have crossed the president. Many in Trump’s orbit have labeled Collins a traitor for her breaks with the administration’s agenda, and her approval ratings are suffering as a result. With Trump’s base dominating Republican primary politics, Collins’s political future looks increasingly bleak as discontent builds on both the right and the left.
The growing perception that Collins is betraying the party’s direction under Trump’s leadership has left her isolated and vulnerable. If these poll numbers are any indication, Trump’s influence in Maine remains strong, and those seen as disloyal are finding themselves in serious trouble.
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