Susan Collins won’t have the same clout in the next Congress | Steve Collins
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Perhaps the best argument for returning Sen. Susan Collins to Washington is that it is clearly in Maine’s interest to have its senator chair the panel that decides how to divvy up billions of federal dollars each year.
As her campaign website says, “Susan’s position gives Maine an outsized voice at the table when critical decisions are made which allows her to deliver serious results for Maine,” and refers to the “the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.”
Whether she wins or loses on Election Day, it’s likely Sen. Collins won’t be at the committee’s helm next year.
Nationally, Democrats are closing in on something few thought possible this election cycle: retaking control of the Senate. They’re virtually certain to control the U.S. House as well.
One of the consequences of having the Democrats in charge of the chamber is that every Senate committee will have a Democrat as its chair. Republicans, including Sen. Collins, will no longer enjoy the power that comes with being in the majority.
According to the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Democrats are poised to hold 49 seats with Republicans trailing with 46. Five seats are up in the air. Those seats are said to be in Maine, yes, as well as Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas. Democrats need to win two of those five to take over the Senate while Republicans must win at least four.
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Should Sen. Collins lose her seat, the math gets even tougher for the GOP. But let’s suppose she wins.
In that case, for Sen. Collins to remain in charge of appropriations her party would need to win three of the remaining four toss-up races. Possible, yes, but to me it seems unlikely.
For the group of voters trying to decide between Democrat Troy Jackson and Sen. Collins, why should this make any difference?
It matters because the strongest argument for Maine’s five-term incumbent is that she holds that position of rare clout on Capitol Hill. Without it, she surely can’t do as much for Maine.
That reality makes it easier for an undecided voter to choose Jackson. If Jackson wins, it would be a serious blow to President Donald Trump, who needs to recognize that he can’t simply ignore Congress and the laws of our nation.
The way I see it, Sen. Collins has demonstrated repeatedly that she is not up to the unique challenge of holding Trump in check. She knows what he is. She just hasn’t shown the gumption to stand up to him.
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Whatever his faults, Jackson is tough and ornery enough to defy Trump and join every effort to block the president’s corrupt foolishness.
The leader of Senate Democrats, New York’s Chuck Schumer, told reporters recently that his party, back in power, would have two goals: to lower costs for Americans and “to clamp down on this horrible corruption and to end the chaos.”
I’m not sure why Sen. Collins and her GOP colleagues have failed to focus on the cost of living or reining in Trump and his erratic decisions. I have no doubt that most of them know it needs to be done. They just don’t have the guts to act.
As a result, they’re likely going to lose the Senate. And without a good reason to be sent back to Washington, Sen. Collins is likely going to lose the election.
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Tagged: columns, election 2026, senate 2026
Steve Collins became an opinion columnist for the Maine Trust for Local News in April of 2025. A journalist since 1987, Steve has worked for daily newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Maine and served. More by Steve Collins
