A moderate Senate Republican with years of experience is facing political challenges ahead of her 2026 reelection campaign. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has seen her approval ratings decline amid a turbulent summer session where she often broke with her party and former President Donald Trump on key votes.

Morning Consult’s latest quarterly poll shows Collins with a 54% disapproval rating, the highest against her in eight years of tracking. Only 38% of Maine voters currently approve of her job performance, down from 47% approval and 44% disapproval in late 2024. Collins’ spokesperson pointed to a more favorable mid-May Pan Atlantic Research poll showing 49% positive views.

Collins’ drop in support follows her opposition to Trump’s “one big, beautiful” bill, which she criticized for its Medicaid changes. She was one of three GOP senators to vote against the bill, citing concerns for Maine’s rural hospitals and vulnerable populations reliant on Medicaid. Collins also proposed raising taxes on ultra-wealthy individuals to fund rural health care.

The White House is reportedly considering potential replacements if Collins opts not to run again, but she currently faces no strong primary challengers. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has not formally launched her campaign but confirmed plans to run and highlighted strong fundraising, including \$6 million raised so far and \$5 million on hand.

Maine GOP Executive Director Jason Savage praised Collins’ impact on local communities and expressed confidence voters will support her in 2026.