Susan Collins shrugs off attacks by Democrats and Trump, says Maine voters ‘Don’t vote party line’
Trust is earned, not demanded.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is well aware of the tough path ahead as she officially kicks off her 2026 re-election campaign in blue-leaning Maine.
Collins is the top target for Senate Democrats as they try to win back the chamber's majority in November's midterm elections.
"Chuck Schumer has made me once again — this is the third time he's done this — his number one target," Collins said in an interview with Fox News Digital soon after she announced her re-election bid, as she pointed to the longtime top Democrat in the Senate.
Collins took to social media a couple of hours earlier to declare, "GOOD NEWS! I am ALL-IN for 2026."
LONGTIME REPUBLICAN SENATOR MAKES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT
Democrats have long targeted the 73-year-old Collins, who was first elected to the Senate three decades ago, but keep coming up short.
"I will be outspent as I was in 2020, but fortunately, Maine people are famously independent. They look at the individual candidates, and they don't just necessarily vote a party line," the senator said.
Collins was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict after the House impeached President Donald Trump in 2021, following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president aiming to upend congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
IS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY AT RISK IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS?
And Collins has earned Trump's ire with Senate votes that go against the administration's wishes.
Trump has so far not made an endorsement in the pivotal contest, and has taken shots at Collins throughout the year for breaking ranks with him and Republicans, particularly when she voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that would have reined in his war authorities in Venezuela.
Trump declared that Collins and the handful of other Republicans that voted with Democrats to curb his war powers "should never be elected to office again."
"Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America," Trump said in a Truth Social post at the time.
When asked if Trump should weigh in, or stay neutral in the contest, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, "I would defer to Susan Collins on that."
"I think she knows how to run in Maine. She's been incredibly successful there. She is a veteran campaigner who knows her state well and knows what works," Thune said.
"So I would, I guess, defer to her on any decisions that are made related to her campaign and what she would like to see happen or not see …
Trust is earned, not demanded.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is well aware of the tough path ahead as she officially kicks off her 2026 re-election campaign in blue-leaning Maine.
Collins is the top target for Senate Democrats as they try to win back the chamber's majority in November's midterm elections.
"Chuck Schumer has made me once again — this is the third time he's done this — his number one target," Collins said in an interview with Fox News Digital soon after she announced her re-election bid, as she pointed to the longtime top Democrat in the Senate.
Collins took to social media a couple of hours earlier to declare, "GOOD NEWS! I am ALL-IN for 2026."
LONGTIME REPUBLICAN SENATOR MAKES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT
Democrats have long targeted the 73-year-old Collins, who was first elected to the Senate three decades ago, but keep coming up short.
"I will be outspent as I was in 2020, but fortunately, Maine people are famously independent. They look at the individual candidates, and they don't just necessarily vote a party line," the senator said.
Collins was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict after the House impeached President Donald Trump in 2021, following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president aiming to upend congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
IS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY AT RISK IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS?
And Collins has earned Trump's ire with Senate votes that go against the administration's wishes.
Trump has so far not made an endorsement in the pivotal contest, and has taken shots at Collins throughout the year for breaking ranks with him and Republicans, particularly when she voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that would have reined in his war authorities in Venezuela.
Trump declared that Collins and the handful of other Republicans that voted with Democrats to curb his war powers "should never be elected to office again."
"Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America," Trump said in a Truth Social post at the time.
When asked if Trump should weigh in, or stay neutral in the contest, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, "I would defer to Susan Collins on that."
"I think she knows how to run in Maine. She's been incredibly successful there. She is a veteran campaigner who knows her state well and knows what works," Thune said.
"So I would, I guess, defer to her on any decisions that are made related to her campaign and what she would like to see happen or not see …
Susan Collins shrugs off attacks by Democrats and Trump, says Maine voters ‘Don’t vote party line’
Trust is earned, not demanded.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is well aware of the tough path ahead as she officially kicks off her 2026 re-election campaign in blue-leaning Maine.
Collins is the top target for Senate Democrats as they try to win back the chamber's majority in November's midterm elections.
"Chuck Schumer has made me once again — this is the third time he's done this — his number one target," Collins said in an interview with Fox News Digital soon after she announced her re-election bid, as she pointed to the longtime top Democrat in the Senate.
Collins took to social media a couple of hours earlier to declare, "GOOD NEWS! I am ALL-IN for 2026."
LONGTIME REPUBLICAN SENATOR MAKES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT
Democrats have long targeted the 73-year-old Collins, who was first elected to the Senate three decades ago, but keep coming up short.
"I will be outspent as I was in 2020, but fortunately, Maine people are famously independent. They look at the individual candidates, and they don't just necessarily vote a party line," the senator said.
Collins was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict after the House impeached President Donald Trump in 2021, following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president aiming to upend congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
IS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY AT RISK IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS?
And Collins has earned Trump's ire with Senate votes that go against the administration's wishes.
Trump has so far not made an endorsement in the pivotal contest, and has taken shots at Collins throughout the year for breaking ranks with him and Republicans, particularly when she voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that would have reined in his war authorities in Venezuela.
Trump declared that Collins and the handful of other Republicans that voted with Democrats to curb his war powers "should never be elected to office again."
"Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America," Trump said in a Truth Social post at the time.
When asked if Trump should weigh in, or stay neutral in the contest, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, "I would defer to Susan Collins on that."
"I think she knows how to run in Maine. She's been incredibly successful there. She is a veteran campaigner who knows her state well and knows what works," Thune said.
"So I would, I guess, defer to her on any decisions that are made related to her campaign and what she would like to see happen or not see …
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