Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) plans to run for a sixth term in the Senate, buoying Republicans’ hopes of retaining her seat in 2026.
Collins would be one of the most vulnerable incumbents heading into a less favorable Senate map for Republicans next cycle. She could also face political headwinds with President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House.
Collins said her focus is on her work in the Senate. As the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, she will be tasked with brokering a deal on government funding before the Dec. 20 deadline.
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But she confirmed that she intends to run in two years, when Republicans will be attempting to hold on to a 53-seat majority in the Senate.
“It’s my plan,” she told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday.
“I’m focused on the appropriations process, not elections right now, but my intention is to run,” she added.
Collins comfortably defeated her 2020 opponent, Democrat Sara Gideon, despite a deluge of outside spending in her race. She won by a 9-point margin, securing 51% of the vote.
But Republicans are under no illusions about their prospects in Maine. Collins is the only Republican representing New England in the Senate, and her race would be among the most contested in 2026.
Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by almost 7 points in November.
Elsewhere on the map, Republicans will have to defend Sen. Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) seat in North Carolina with the possibility that Democrats will contest redder states like Texas. Trump helped carry Republicans to a Senate majority this cycle, but his presidency will be viewed as a liability two years from now, as it typically is for the party in power.
Few wanted the job of chairing the National Republican Senatorial Committee given the headwinds in 2026, but Collins expressed comfort that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) was chosen as part of a leadership shuffle on Wednesday. He is known as an effective communicator who excels at raising cash.
“I’m delighted that he’s NRSC chair,” Collins told the Washington Examiner.
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