Maine Beacon - Likely 2026 voters like Gov. Janet Mills a lot more than they like Sen. Susan Collins. And that should cause a higher-than-normal level of concern for Sen. Collins about her political future.
Collins, who has held her senate seat since 1997, has already said she plans to run for another term in the 2026 election year. At the same time, Gov. Mills’ star has been rising as she has stood up to Pres. Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to bully Maine into complying with his administration’s anti-trans agenda. She told reporters she “hasn’t ruled out” running against Collins for her Senate seat in 2026 and is rumored to be considering it.
In February, our firm Lake Research Partners polled likely 2026 general election voters, and what we found could well add more fuel to the fire. Not only do Mainers overall (Republicans and Democrats alike) have a negative impression of Collins, they like Mills a lot more.
Mills, the polling finds, has a
20-point edge over Collins in terms of positive personal image ratings.
Specifically, 51% have a favorable view of Mills — with less than a
third feeling similarly about Collins.