Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced on Tuesday she will run for reelection in 2026, arguing that “independent” voices are needed now, more than ever, in Congress.
Collins made the announcement in a video to social media of her unboxing a pair of running shoes. “This is perfect for 2026, because I’m running,” she told viewers.
Her decision will reassure party leaders, since the seat is one of the most competitive in the country. And it comes despite opposition from President Donald Trump, who has often criticized Collins for bucking certain items on his agenda. Trump said last month she “should never be elected to office again.”
GOOD NEWS! I am ALL-IN for 2026.https://t.co/h8Y6GoNhyf
— Susan Collins for Senator (@SenSusanCollins) February 10, 2026
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) hailed Collins for “her work ethic and effectiveness,” while the Senate Leadership Fund praised Collins’ move to seek reelection to a sixth term in a statement, as the battle for control of the upper chamber is likely to hinge on a half-dozen of the most competitive races in the 2026 midterm elections. Collins is viewed as the GOP’s most vulnerable incumbent, but has a history of outperforming expectations, including when she pulled off a 9-point victory in 2020.
“Senator Susan Collins is one of the most effective, hardworking, and trusted leaders in the Senate thanks to a long, proven record of fighting for Maine and delivering for her constituents. Senator Collins has spent her career proving the pundits wrong and winning tough battles, and we have no doubt she will once again run an effective campaign as SLF and its partners are more committed than ever to support her re-election,” the statement read.
Collins has developed a profile as a moderate Senate Republican who has challenged the Trump administration on a variety of issues, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics used in Minnesota, when two U.S. citizens were killed in ICE-related operations last month. In response to vocal opposition from Collins on plans for expanded ICE operations in Maine, the White House recently agreed to end the surge, according to the senator.
Earlier this year, Collins’s support of a war powers resolution aimed at checking Trump’s military action against Maduro earned her a “very hot” phone call from the president, and his opposition to her candidacy.
In an opinion piece outlining her decision to run for reelection on Tuesday, Collins wrote that she wishes to remain an “independent” voice challenging “extreme philosophies” in Congress. Collins said she approaches issues with “an eye toward pragmatic results rather than through the distorting lens of ideology.”
“Too many current and aspiring members of Congress think their job is to either be a rubber stamp or a reflexive obstructionist. 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,” she wrote in the Bangor Daily News.
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“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.
In the Democrat primary, oyster farmer Graham Platner and Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) are competing to face Collins in the general.
