The reelection prospects of Sen. Susan Collins of Maine could hinge on how well she walks a political tightrope of distancing herself from President Trump while reminding voters of the legislative accomplishments and federal dollars she has brought back to the state on his watch.
In just a few weeks, the incumbent Republican has gone from being dismissed by Mr. Trump as unfit for office to getting a warm shout‑out from him in the Oval Office and taking credit for easing the administration’s controversial immigration crackdown in Maine.
At the same time, Democrats keep hammering her as a MAGA wolf in sheep’s clothing, warning that she is more than willing to sell out working-class Mainers when Mr. Trump — who has yet to endorse her — needs her vote in the Senate.
Her campaign launch on Tuesday offered a preview of how Ms. Collins plans to navigate all that in a race that nonpartisan election trackers rate as a “toss-up” and is considered a must-win for Democrats’ hopes of flipping the upper chamber.
She’s leaning hard into the image she’s cultivated for years: the independent problem‑solver who can cut through Washington’s tribalism and bring home results for Maine.
“True leaders bring both sides together to seek common ground, not shout the loudest or seek the most social media clicks,” Ms. Collins said in her campaign launch announcement, published in the Bangor Daily News. “I have a proven record of working for you, and I’m running for reelection because my experience, seniority and independence matter.”
Democrats aren’t buying it.
Graham Platner, the former Marine and oyster farmer running against Gov. Janet Mills for the Democratic nomination, said Ms. Collins’ time is up.
“In November, the movement we are building will turn the page not just on Senator Susan Collins, but also on her politics of hollow promises, acquiescence to Donald Trump, and failed leadership that’s made her and her friends richer but has sold out the rest of us,” Mr. Platner said.
Republicans brushed off the criticism.
Maine GOP Chair Jim Deyermond told The Washington Times that, of course, Ms. Collins works with Mr. Trump — they’re in the same party, and it helps Maine.
“That is all [Democrats] have got — it’s Trump, Trump, Trump, all day, all night, 24/7, 365 days a year,” he said of the opposition’s attacks.
Mr. Deyermond said Ms. Collins, 73, fits Maine’s political temperament.
“She is not hard right, she is more of a middle-of-the-road,” he said.
With Republicans slightly outnumbered by Democrats in the state, he said, “In order to get elected in Maine, you’ve got to reach out to the entire state. You can’t just pick one political party.”
He summed it up simply: “She knows how to get elected.”
Democrats counter that Ms. Collins talks like an independent, but when the pressure is on, she falls in line with the Trump-led Republicans.
They still fume over her 2018 vote to confirm Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh after he privately assured her that he viewed Roe v. Wade as settled law and was not a threat to the landmark abortion-rights ruling.
Ms. Collins later said she felt misled, after the court overturned Roe in 2022.
More recently, Democrats have gone after her support for the Big Beautiful Bill, which boosted funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has drawn fresh scrutiny following the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month.
Still, Ms. Collins has survived plenty of political storms and, this time, claimed credit after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem pulled back immigration enforcement efforts in Maine.
Meanwhile, she’s carved out a reputation as a key swing vote and now chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, giving her enormous sway over federal spending.
She’s also broken with Mr. Trump at times — most notably when she voted to convict him after his impeachment for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Just last month, she was one of five Republicans who backed a procedural move to block Mr. Trump from using the military in Venezuela without congressional approval. Mr. Trump fired back that she and the others “should never be elected again.”
That tension between the two Republicans was on display during last week’s Oval Office meeting.
As the cameras rolled, Mr. Trump singled out Ms. Collins for her role in crafting the deal that reopened the government after a 43-day shutdown and included $250 million for Maine projects.
“Hi, Susan, I heard you’re doing good,” the president said, prompting the TV cameras to pan over to her.
Before the meeting wrapped up, most of the Republicans in the room eagerly stepped forward — holding “America Is Back” red baseball caps — to praise Mr. Trump for tax cuts, lower gas prices, military pay raises, and a tougher stance on illegal immigration.
Ms. Collins, standing behind an Abraham Lincoln bust and holding a MAGA hat close to her side, stayed quiet.
