Dem
47
GOP
53
Susan Collins' dream job has always been chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. She got the job, but it is more like a nightmare than a dream now. Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) are forcing her to take positions that hurt people in Maine and she doesn't like it at all. The clawback bill (see above) is just one of many. She said: "I vote according to what I assess to be in the best interests of my constituents and my country—and I do that regardless of who's in control of the Senate and who is president." Except it is not always true. If her vote is not needed, yes, she is given permission to vote against the party line, but only if her vote is not needed. If her vote will kill a bill Trump wants, there is no such permission granted, and she most certainly does not seize the initiative.
One thing on everyone's mind in the Senate is whether she will run for reelection next year. She is 72 and the only Republican senator running in a state Kamala Harris won. Her approval rating is down and polls show her to be in deep trouble. One recent poll showed 51% of Mainers disapprove of her performance, and 71% said she does not deserve to be reelected. If term-limited Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) jumps in to challenge her, she might start to think "What am I accomplishing staying in the Senate if I have to vote against the interests of my constituents all the time?" Now that Thom Tillis is out in 2026, she is by far the most vulnerable Republican and tens of millions of dollars will flood the state to try to take her down. Tillis said: "The one thing I am certain of is if Susan Collins is not running for re-election, then that state is even more at risk than North Carolina."
Democrats are hoping that Collins decides that being in the Senate for another 6 years simply isn't worth it for her. They know Tillis is right.
Another factor is Donald Trump. One Republican senator said that Trump is very irritated with Collins. So far he has been quiet, but that could change. On the one hand, if he simply barks at her, that actually helps her back home. On the other hand, if he endorses a primary challenger and gets his rich friends to fund that person, she could lose the primary and the challenger would certainly lose the general election in blue Maine.
So far, Trump has just ignored Collins. When she asked for changes to the BBB, he refused to give her what she wanted. It is practically unheard of for a president to order the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee around. After all, Congress has (or used to have) the power of the purse. But Trump figured that with a three-seat majority, he could ignore Collins and also Lisa Murkowski. The one thing that may not have been in his calculation is the possibility that she just doesn't see the point of being in the Senate any more and decides to retire on Jan. 3, 2027. (V)