Long-Serving ‘RINO’ Senator Underwater In Reelection Poll
A moderate Senate Republican who has served in the upper chamber for years is in trouble politically back home ahead of a reelection campaign.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has seen her approval rating decline during a turbulent summer session in which she frequently broke ranks with her party and President Donald Trump on several key votes, according to a new survey.
The findings come from Morning Consult’s quarterly poll tracking senators’ approval ratings, showing a downward trend for the 72-year-old moderate. Collins has announced her intention to seek reelection in 2026, the Daily Caller reported.
Currently, 54% of Mainers disapprove of Sen. Susan Collins’ job performance—the highest disapproval rating she has received in Morning Consult’s eight-year tracking history. Just 38% of voters in the state say they approve of her performance.
By comparison, Morning Consult’s fourth-quarter 2024 survey showed Collins with 47% approval and 44% disapproval. That marked a slight drop from the third quarter of 2024, when 50% approved and 42% disapproved, according to previous polling.
In response to the latest numbers, a Collins spokesperson cited more favorable results from a Pan Atlantic Research poll conducted in mid-May, which surveyed 840 likely Maine voters. That poll showed 49% viewed Collins favorably, while 45% held an unfavorable view, the outlet reported, citing published survey data.
Collins’ declining approval ratings in the Morning Consult survey follow a series of high-profile breaks with Trump on key parts of his legislative agenda. She was one of just three Republican senators to vote against Trump’s “one big, beautiful” bill, which was signed into law on July 4—shortly after the survey was conducted—citing concerns over the bill’s proposed changes to Medicaid.
In the lead-up to the final vote, Collins introduced an amendment to raise taxes on ultra-wealthy individuals—those earning over $25 million annually, or couples with combined incomes over $50 million—in order to increase funding for rural hospitals.
“I strongly support extending the tax relief for families and small businesses. My vote against this bill stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes,” she wrote on X July 1.
“The Medicaid program has been an important health care safety net for nearly 60 years that has helped people in difficult financial circumstances, including people with disabilities, children, seniors, and low-income families. Approximately 400,000 Mainers – nearly a third of the state’s population – depend on this program,” she added.
“Certainly, there are improvements that should be made to the Medicaid system. For example, I support work requirements for able-bodied adults who are not raising young children, who are not caregivers, or attending school. However, a dramatic reduction in future Medicaid funding, an estimated $5.9 billion in Maine over the next 10 years, could threaten not only Mainers’ access to health care, but also the very existence of several of our state’s rural hospitals,” she wrote.
The White House is reportedly exploring potential replacements for Sen. Susan Collins should she ultimately decide not to seek reelection, though she currently faces no prominent primary challengers. As chair of the influential Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has yet to launch a formal campaign but said Tuesday she plans to run in 2026 and is encouraged by her strong fundraising numbers.
In her last race, Collins waited until December 2019 to announce her successful 2020 reelection bid. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is already airing ads in her support, and a super PAC backing her has raised $5.6 million in the first half of the year. According to the Federal Election Commission, Collins has raised a total of $6 million and currently holds $5 million in cash on hand, the Daily Caller reported.
Jason Savage, Executive Director of the Maine GOP, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Sen. Collins has been doing a “tremendous job,” adding that her work has impacted every community in the state—something he believes voters will remember when the 2026 midterms arrive.
