Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who lost to Democrat Troy Jackson after five terms of winning broad cross-party support in a blue-leaning state, said voters overlooked her record of breaking with President Donald Trump, in an interview with The New York Times.
Collins complained that “everybody ignores” her vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.
“What bigger break could there be?” she asked. “It is never enough.”
She said she was caught up in a “Trump tsunami” that took down many Republican incumbents. The Times attributed her loss largely to Trump and the Iran war, citing high fuel prices in a state that relies on home heating oil, tariffs on Canada, an immigration crackdown that included a fatal shooting by federal agents in Maine, and a perception that she wasn’t doing enough to stand up to the president. Collins said she had highlighted her differences with Trump on the war, tariffs, immigration and safety net cuts.
While Collins touted her breaks with Trump, she was also a pivotal vote for key parts of his agenda. She provided a decisive vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, despite sexual assault allegations that he denied. And though she voted against Trump’s Medicaid-cutting “Big Beautiful Bill” on final passage, she was a key vote to advance debate on it.
Voters outside a Bangor polling place told the Times they had backed Collins before but wouldn’t this time, with one saying she had voted with Trump on too many issues.
“Susan Collins has voted with Trump on so many things,” said Deborah Hanson. Collins said one woman told her not voting for her was the only way to send a message to Trump.
Collins had leaned on her role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee during the campaign. Her campaign manager, Steve Abbott, said the state had walked away from an opportunity.
Collins compared herself to Margaret Chase Smith, the Maine Republican she has long called a role model, who lost reelection in 1972 after serving longer than any woman in Senate history at the time. “I have now had my Margaret Chase Smith moment,” Collins said.
The race was chaotic from the start. Jackson replaced Democratic primary winner Graham Platner, who dropped out after a rape allegation, which he denies.