Collins courts Bath Iron Works

Maine's most powerful senator arrived at the naval shipyard handing out campaign T-shirts to workers, cementing her image as the politician who brings federal money home.

Appropriations chair controls the cash

As chair of the Senate's Appropriations Committee, Collins influences spending bills and directs federal money to Maine projects. Voters believe her seniority keeps defense contracts flowing.

Facing a populist challenger

Collins is running against Troy Jackson, a former logger and state legislator who positions himself as a champion of the working class against the wealthy and powerful.

“If you've ever been ignored, underestimated, pushed around, or told that you have to wait your turn while the rich cut the line, I'm asking you to stand with us.”

ProPublica raises pay-to-play questions

An investigation found Collins may have participated in a scheme where a defense firm offered campaign contributions in exchange for federal contracts. Collins denies wrongdoing.

FBI investigation was dropped

The FBI initiated a second investigation into the allegations but dropped it when the Trump Administration dismantled the bureau's public integrity unit.

Local loyalty runs deep

Maine voters have a familial relationship with Collins. One woman recalled calling her office for help with a bureaucratic problem and later receiving a state visit.

“I love her right to death.”

Union dilemma: loyalty vs. results

Bath Iron Works employees acknowledge Collins has delivered for the shipyard but expect their union to endorse Jackson because supporting a Republican feels like betrayal.

“What she's done for this shipyard, it's appalling to me that anybody would not support her.”

Trump association is toxic in Maine

Every statewide elected official except Collins is a Democrat. Voters blame her for Trump's policies even when she opposes them, and associating with him is a major liability.

Collins threatened Trump on shipbuilding

When the Trump Administration proposed allowing naval ships to be built overseas, Collins threatened to block the policy in the Appropriations Committee. The policy was reversed.

The Appropriations power play

Since 2021, Collins has championed 672 congressionally directed spending projects totaling 1.5 billion dollars, more per capita than almost any other legislator.

Funding fire stations and mammography

Collins details her spending wins: a million dollars for a fire station in Sweden, Maine, population 400, and a mobile mammography unit that screened over a thousand women.

“It has screened over a thousand women. I know for a fact that there have been cancers detected.”

Funding places that reject her

Collins takes particular pleasure in securing federal money for Portland, a city that never votes for her. She funded a fireboat that helped contain a waterfront fire last December.

“The city of Portland never votes for me, never will vote for me. It's very satisfying.”

Collins votes with Trump 95 percent

During Trump's second term, Collins votes with the President about 95 percent of the time, though she has opposed some tariffs and voted against the 2025 spending bill.

Trump called to chastise her

In January, Trump called Collins during a Venezuela vote to yell at her for twenty minutes. She stayed silent and didn't change her vote, but the call shows his pressure on her.

“It was twenty minutes of him chastising me.”

Jackson's campaign is all national

Jackson's website lists only national priorities: abolish ICE, Medicare for All, make abortion legal nationwide. Not a single item is specific to Maine's economy or needs.

The insider versus the outsider

Collins doesn't run as a class warrior or culture warrior. Jackson does, arguing voters are in a war with big corporations and both political establishments.

The secret Collins voter theory

Many Mainers won't publicly support Collins but plan to vote for her anyway. In 2020, she trailed in polls but won by nine points, suggesting hidden support.

Moderates are nearly extinct

Collins is one of the last Washington moderates. Former Republican senators like Jeff Flake and Mitt Romney have left office, leaving her isolated in a polarized Senate.

“You're in a no man's land.”

Maine's political space is shrinking

Even supporters of Collins's moderation are abandoning her. A former Republican legislator said Maine has lost the political space that once allowed independent pragmatism to flourish.

“I want her to be willing to use the power of her office more forcefully.”

The voter's impossible choice

Mainers face a dilemma: Collins brings home federal money and has real power, but she enables Trump. Some would rather lose her influence to send a national message.

“Susan Collins is better for Maine. A Democrat in the seat will be better for the country.”