Campaign signs sit next to a road in Rockport, Maine. Graham Platner is expected to be the Democratic nominee and would face off against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
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In Maine, a crucial Senate race is emerging, with voters set to decide between supporting Republican Sen. Susan Collins for her influence and ability to secure federal funding, or siding with Democratic challenger Graham Platner, who advocates for upending a political system he argues disadvantages working-class citizens.
Platner’s campaign, centered on a call for political transformation, has already led to the withdrawal of his Democratic opponent, Gov. Janet Mills. As the focus shifts to the November election, Collins is employing traditional pork-barrel tactics to appeal to voters who may be uncertain about giving her a sixth term.
This race highlights several significant differences between the candidates, which could play a pivotal role in determining whether Republicans retain control of the Senate or if Democrats can achieve a majority.
Collins has consistently emphasized her strategy of “bringing home the bacon,” a classic approach for seasoned politicians in Congress, which contrasts with the modern methods often used by newer members to engage voters.
Collins has indicated that directing federal funds to Maine will be central to her campaign for reelection. Her initial campaign advertisement highlighted her role in securing federal funding for a breakwater dock in Eastport, a small community with just over 1,000 residents. She also intends to leverage her position as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a role not held by a Maine senator in over 90 years.
She referred to this position as a “once in a century” opportunity and expressed her intention to campaign on this advantage.
“And that will vanish with a freshman senator,” she noted during a manufacturing conference in Maine. “It took years to climb the ranks of seniority.”
Platner’s campaign, meanwhile, aims to highlight the significance of Collins’ role while pointing to diminishing returns for Maine residents. Ben Chin, Platner’s campaign manager, remarked in April that Collins “owns” the federal budget and, by extension, the financial challenges faced by Mainers.
“Every time Sen. Collins uses an earmark for infrastructure, it doesn’t offset the financial strain on Mainers due to her support of the Trump administration’s policies,” he stated.
Touting $1.5 billion to 700 projects
In her keynote speech at a manufacturing summit, Collins highlighted her success in securing federal funds and influencing legislative decisions, including under the Trump administration.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, oversees a committee hearing as Appropriations Committee chair on Dec. 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Collins has argued that her role on the committee is part of the reason Mainers should send her back to Washington in the fall.
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She cited federal funding for community colleges and a trade professions incubator system in the state. Additionally, she mentioned a recent appropriations bill that reversed cuts to biomedical research, which is significant for Maine’s economy.
She even highlighted funding to control the spruce budworm, a pest that threatens the state’s softwood timber.
“And I was pleased to secure funding to manage the spruce budworm,” she remarked.
Collins has also opposed Trump’s tariffs on Canadian products. She explained her efforts to persuade Trump administration officials to keep tariffs off products that would harm a paper mill on the Canadian border, which relies on resources from across the border. The facilities were strategically placed over a century ago to avoid import duties.
“But consider how damaging that would have been for northern Maine,” she said.
The implication is clear: without Collins, such protective measures might not exist.
Collins has long emphasized the potential impact of her absence in Congress on Maine voters. Dan Shea, a government and politics professor at Colby College, noted in February that this message resonates well with independent voters, a crucial demographic in the state.
“She garners support from split-ticket voters, unaffiliated individuals, and independents,” he commented, adding, “I recall when pork barrel projects were key to incumbents’ success. It’s evident in Maine today.”
Collins secured her last reelection by distancing herself from the unpopular Trump administration and the prevailing economic challenges of the pandemic.
Shea expressed uncertainty about the effectiveness of this strategy in the 2026 race, given the challenging national landscape for Republicans.
The reintroduction of congressional earmarks in 2021, when Democrats controlled Congress, might play a role.
Collins’ office reports that she has secured $1.5 billion over five years for nearly 700 local projects.
Tide turns on Collins’ coalition of support
Platner, who became the likely Democratic candidate after Gov. Janet Mills exited the race, has criticized Collins’ federal funding efforts, suggesting they are minor compared to what he could deliver without corporate ties.
“All my life, I was told that when Susan Collins got the Appropriations gavel, Maine would prosper,” he said at a Bowdoin College town hall in April. “That promise hasn’t been fulfilled.”
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a town hall on May 20 in Portland, Maine.
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The combat veteran and oyster farmer has also criticized Collins for not using her influence. Following his campaign launch last August, he condemned her for casting a pivotal vote to advance Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill before ultimately opposing it.
The new law includes significant reductions to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans. Approximately 30% of Maine’s 1.4 million residents rely on this program.
He has consistently described Collins as offering “symbolic opposition” to Trump’s agenda, which he views as part of a “performative politics” that benefits the wealthy at the expense of working-class Mainers.
“And for that reason, it really isn’t a representative system. It’s a performance. It’s a theater conducted by elites,” he stated at the Bowdoin town hall.
He has also labeled her centrist stance as a “charade.” This perspective resonates with many Maine Democrats, who were previously part of Collins’ support base until 2020. In 2014, she won with nearly 70% of the vote, but by 2020, that figure dropped to 51%.
However, independent voters will likely play a decisive role in the upcoming November election, as they did in 2020. While Republicans may not always agree with Collins’ voting record, they recognize her significance in maintaining Senate control.
Last week, Vice President Vance addressed this dynamic at an event in Bangor, Maine.
“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she were more partisan,” he remarked. “But what I appreciate about Susan is her independence, reflecting Maine’s independent spirit.”
Trump has similarly changed his tone recently, reversing his earlier stance from January when he declared that Collins and other Republicans “should never be elected again.”
During a Fox News’ The Five interview in late March, he commented, “I hope she wins. She’s actually a good person, but we need to win. Keeping the majority is crucial; otherwise, all of our accomplishments will be at risk.”
