{"id":13577,"date":"2026-06-10T14:32:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T14:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13577"},"modified":"2026-06-10T14:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T14:32:03","slug":"defying-trump-ended-some-republicans-careers-it-could-help-susan-collins-win-reelection-in-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13577","title":{"rendered":"Defying Trump ended some Republicans\u2019 careers. It could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By PATRICK WHITTLE and WILL WEISSERT<\/strong><\/p>\n

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) \u2014 This election year is d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu for Sen. Susan Collins \u2014 the Maine Republican is running for reelection as Democrats pin their hopes on a new candidate to defeat her. Last time, it was state lawmaker Sara Gideon. This time, it\u2019s combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s Medicaid work rules force states to scrap plans and rework systems<\/a><\/p>\n

But Collins has proven to be a hard target for Democrats over the years \u2014 even for candidates without the baggage of Platner, who has faced criticism for his relationships with women, inflammatory online posts and a previous tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol. Collins is seeking her sixth term with sky-high name recognition, a record-breaking run of consecutive Senate votes and a history of bringing back federal funding for her state for years.<\/p>\n

She is also the rare Republican who sometimes can boost her own popularity back home by keeping her distance from President Donald Trump, and she has perfected that delicate dance even as his tightening grip on the party has cost two of her Senate Republican colleagues their reelection.<\/p>\n

Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost their primaries when facing Trump-endorsed opponents. But despite the president\u2019s complaints about Collins, he did not campaign against her. Years of practice have made her adept at staying close \u2014 but not too close \u2014 to the president when it is politically advantageous, and moving away when showing an independent streak is helpful.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s shown time and time again where her state\u2019s electorate is. She understands what\u2019s too far, she understands where she needs to be,\u201d said political consultant Matt Mackowiak, who worked for Cornyn\u2019s failed reelection campaign. Trump endorsed Cornyn\u2019s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n

The road to Senate control goes through Maine<\/h4>\n

The Democrats need to flip four seats to take control of the Senate in November and hope that Trump\u2019s falling approval ratings and the war in Iran \u2014 as well as its subsequent effect on oil prices and the economy \u2014 could buoy their chances. Maine is among the top targets, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.<\/p>\n

Platner wants to make the case that Collins isn\u2019t as independent of Trump as her reputation suggests \u2014 repeatedly noting that she allowed his Supreme Court nominations to go through, which in 2022 led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion, among other major issues.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSusan Collins may have started her career decades ago in Washington with good intentions, but she has become just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves,\u201d Platner said at a victory party on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Platner supporters are ready for change, said John Keenan, of Sullivan, Maine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Maine has grown tired of the same old system,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd putting youth into the campaign, with new instead of a rubber stamp, is very refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n