Feb. 10 (UPI) — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, officially announced her decision to run for her sixth term by posting a 16-second video on X.
In the video, she opens a box of New Balance running shoes and says, “This is perfect for 2026, because I’m running.”
GOOD NEWS! I am ALL-IN for 2026.https://t.co/h8Y6GoNhyf— Susan Collins for Senator (@SenSusanCollins) February 10, 2026
Collins, 73, is a centrist Republican in a Democrat-stronghold state. She is likely to face tough competition from Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Graham Platner both running as Democrats. Mills is endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Platner is an oyster farmer and progressive favorite, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“Susan Collins has lost the trust of Maine voters, and this November they’ll hold her accountable at the ballot box,” the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said in a post on X. The post also mentioned that she’s the second-most unpopular Senator in the country, according to a poll by Morning Consult.
Though President Donald Trump turned against her because she voted against military action in Venezuela, her fellow Republican senators still back her.
“There is one way to elect a Republican in the state of Maine, and that’s for Susan Collins to be the nominee,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said last month, The Hill reported.
Collins has the most cash in the race with more than $8 million as of Dec. 31, the Federal Election Commission website says. Platner has about $3.7 million, and Mills has $1.3 million.