Susan Collins lost her bid for a sixth term in the Senate to Democrat Troy Jackson, ending a political run marked by her ability to win in Maine even as other Republicans struggled. Collins, who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee and had served for three decades, said opposition to Donald Trump proved decisive in the race.
During a campaign stop in York County, a woman who told Collins she had always supported her said she would not vote for her this time. Collins recalled that the voter wanted to send a message to Trump. In an interview the day after the election, Collins described her defeat as part of a “Trump tsunami” that swept away Republican incumbents.
Collins had built a reputation as a New England centrist known for constituent service and bringing federal funding to Maine. She won the state in 2008 as Barack Obama carried it, and held on in 2020 despite polls showing her behind a well-funded state lawmaker.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.