Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins’ approval rating has fallen following a tense summer session where she repeatedly broke away from her party and President Donald Trump on multiple crucial votes.
The results were released by Morning Consult as a part of its quarterly poll of senator’s approval ratings, and they show the favorability of the longtime Maine senator, 72, to be in a downward trend. Even still, the moderate Republican pushes forward towards the midterms, saying she intends to run for reelection in 2026.
A total of 54% of Mainers disapprove of Collins’ job performance, marking a high point for her disapproval in the survey’s eight-year history. Only 38% of those in the Pine Tree State approve of the senator’s performance in office.
The Morning Consult survey from the fourth quarter of 2024 by contrast shows that 47% of Collins’ constituents approved of the senator and 44% disapproved. This marked a slight decline from the third quarter of 2024 when 50% of Collins’ constituents approved of her job performance and 42% disapproved, according to the Morning Consult’s poll at the time.
The stark changes in Collins’ approval may stem from her repeatedly refuting the Republican base and choosing to oppose Trump on key elements of his agenda. Most recently, Collins voted against the president’s $9 billion rescissions package claiming it was unknown what programs would be affected by the bill’s funding clawbacks.
Collins also was one of three GOP senators to vote “no” on Trump’s “one big, beautiful” bill which the president signed into law on July 4, citing concerns over the bill’s Medicaid reforms. Amid the series of votes leading up to the final vote to pass the bill, Collins sponsored a measure to raise taxes on millionaires in an effort to boost the funding for rural hospitals. The amendment would have applied to those making over $25 million a year, or couples who have over $50 million in combined income.
The most recent survey results also come following reports that the White House is having discussions about replacements for Collins — although she currently does not face any well-known primary challengers. Collins, the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, has yet to announce a formal reelection campaign, but said Tuesday she is planning to run in 2026 and is encouraged by her strong fundraising results.
Collins waited to announce her successful 2020 reelection bid until December 2019, meaning she may potentially officially announce her bid for a sixth term later this year. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is already running ads for Collins, and a super PAC backing her has raised $5.6 million in the first half of the year. Collins currently has $5 million in cash on hand and has raised a total of $6 million according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
The senator’s stocked war chest positions her well in a general election in Democratic-leaning Maine. Collins won her most recent reelection bid in 2020 against Democrat Sara Gideon by 9 percentage points — despite Joe Biden winning the state by the same margin. Maine is currently the only state which voted for failed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in 2024 and has a Republican senator.
A Collins spokesperson pointed to a Pan Atlantic Research poll when reached by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Research poll was performed in mid-May and surveyed 840 likely Maine voters, finding 49% of respondents viewed her favorably, while only 45% viewed her unfavorably.
Jason Savage, Executive Director of Maine GOP, told the DCNF Collins has been doing a “tremendous job” and said her work has touched every community throughout the state— something voters won’t forget when it comes to the 2026 midterms.
“There’s generally broad support within our committee and elected officials here,” Savage said of Collins’ approval in Maine. “I think a lot of it gets blown out of proportion in the national press.”
Savage said part of Collins’ allure to voters across Maine is her capability to be upfront about the politics of Washington. Her willingness to explain the reasoning behind her votes as well, as the policy behind them, drives her reputation of accessibility, he said.
“If Gideon or [Independent Maine Sen. Angus] King aren’t answering the phones, voters know that Collins will,” Savage said.
Currently declared Democratic Senate candidates in Maine include David Costello, the party’s 2024 Senate nominee who served as acting secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment, and Jordan Wood who was the chief of staff to former Democratic California Rep. Katie Porter.
GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Joni Ernst of Iowa were the only other Republicans to receive negative approval ratings in the Morning Consult quarterly poll.
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