Republican Senator. Susan Collins As she officially launches her 2026 re-election campaign in blue-leaning Maine, she knows the tough road ahead.

Collins is a top target for Senate Democrats as they try to win back the House majority in November’s midterm elections.

“Chuck Schumer Collins said in a Fox News digital interview shortly after announcing her re-election bid, referring to the longtime Senate Democratic leader.

A few hours ago, Collins announced on social media: “Great news! I’m fully committed to 2026.”

Long-serving Republican senator makes big announcement

Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins leaves the Capitol chamber in Washington on July 24, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Democrats have long targeted Collins, 73, who was first elected president. Senate Thirty years ago, but continues to lag behind.

“I’m going to be overspending like I was in 2020, but luckily the people of Maine are known for being independent. They’re focused on individual candidates and they’re not necessarily voting just a party line,” the senator said.

Collins was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict the president after the House impeached him Donald Trump The results come in 2021 following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president aimed at overturning Congress’ certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Is the Republican Senate majority at risk in the midterm elections?

Collins angered Trump by saying the Senate vote went against the administration’s wishes.

Trump has so far offered no support in the crucial race and has criticized Collins throughout the year for her disagreements with him and Republicans, particularly when she voted for bipartisan legislation that would limit his authority’s war in Venezuela.

Trump declared that Collins and the handful of Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to limit their war powers “should never be re-elected.”

“Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for the senators who just voted for Democrats to try to take away our authority to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump said in a Truth Society post at the time.

Asked whether Trump should weigh in on the campaign or remain neutral, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “I would defer to Susan Collins on that.”

“I think she knows how to campaign in Maine. She’s been incredibly successful there. She’s a veteran campaigner who knows her state very well and knows what works,” Thune said.

“So I guess I’ll defer to whatever decisions she makes related to her campaign and what she wants to see happen or doesn’t want to see happen with endorsements, but we’re going to be fully committed to making sure she gets re-elected,” he continued.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins has angered President Donald Trump with a Senate vote that went against the administration’s wishes. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)

Her willingness to criticize Trump and break with his policies could be a benefit to Collins, who needs the support of independents and some Democrats to win reelection.

“I think the president’s criticism shows that I’m independent in the way I approach issues. I’m concerned about the impact this has on Maine and the impact it has on the country, and Maine appreciates that,” she told Fox Digital News.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins leaves a Republican Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Collins emphasized, “When I think President Trump is right, I support him, and when I think he is wrong, I don’t support it, and that’s the attitude I’ve always taken with all the presidents I’ve served with. I’ve never agreed 100 percent with any of them. So, this president is more outspoken than previous presidents when you disagree with him, but I think I can completely justify the way I voted.”

Trump slams Republican war powers defectors, says they ‘should never be elected to office again’

But the Maine Democratic Party charged in a statement that “Susan Collins has betrayed Maine over the past 30 years, from denying Maine affordable health care, to casting the decisive vote to confirm the Supreme Court justice who overturned Roe v. Wade, to voting for Donald Trump 94 percent of the time.”

“She now faces the lowest approval ratings of her career because Mainers see through her political games and false concerns. Come November, we will reject her at the ballot box,” added Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Sen. Tim Scott called Collins “a proven leader whose fierce independence has delivered historic victories for Maine.”

But during a closed NRSC briefing to Senate Republicans last week, Scott pointed to the latest developments Fox News National Poll That suggests Republicans are facing a vote deficit and suggests it could affect certain Senate races this year.

Republican sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that Scott said the toughest challenge may be in Maine.

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Plattner speaks during a town hall at the Levitt Theater in Ogunquit, Maine, on October 22, 2025. (Sophie Park/Getty Images)

In November, Collins is likely to face political newcomer Graham Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer backed by two-term Democratic Gov. Jane Mills and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has the tacit support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the DSCC. The Democratic primary, scheduled for June, is expected to be hotly contested.

Collins accused Democrats of being “misrepresenting my record” and that outside groups aligned with Democrats were running ads that were “provably false, which is very disappointing. The people of Maine deserve better.”

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills will run in 2026 to try to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. (Getty Images)

Click here to download the Fox News app

Asked who she hopes to face in the general election, Collins said: “I leave that to the Democrats to decide. I know that no matter who the Democratic nominee is, there’s going to be a lot of outside money pouring into this race.”