![[US Midterm Elections 2026] Republican Senator Collins loses, veteran of about 30 years](/api/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Face%2Fws%2F240%2Fcpsprodpb%2F282b%2Flive%2F912c33e0-d7bd-11f1-8a3d-5320e3fab176.jpg)
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In the US midterm elections held on the 3rd, Republican senator Susan Collins (73) from Maine, who had been in office for 30 years, was defeated. Collins is known as a moderate Republican and sought to distance himself from President Donald Trump during this election campaign.
The Democratic candidate, Troy Jackson (58), is a former forestry worker who campaigned for workers' rights. He accused Collins of repeatedly bowing to pressure from the president. He also advocated progressive policies, including calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Democratic Party once selected former Marine Graham Platner as its Senate candidate in the primary. However, various scandals have surfaced around him one after another, including accusations of sexual assault by women. Although he denied the allegations, he withdrew from the election. Mr. Jackson became the party's candidate in his place.
Democratic candidates have consistently won presidential elections in Maine since 1992. Collins, a Republican, has held the state's Senate seat since he was first elected in 1996.
However, in this election, Collins lost to the Democratic candidate. Democrats also won states such as Texas, Michigan, and South Carolina, and took back the Senate. Democrats also regained the majority in the House of Representatives.
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Collins has at times walked a tightrope with Trump. As a moderate Republican in a state that has historically supported Democrats, he has often criticized Trump's policies. For this reason, he was seen as a Republican lawmaker who could hold a ``casting boat'' that could go either way when deliberating controversial bills.
He voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He also voted against Trump's major tax cuts and spending bill, ``One Big, Beautiful Bill,'' which he submitted to Congress in July 2025. The bill was eventually passed.
Collins also voted against repealing the Affordable Care Act, helping to preserve the health care system commonly known as Obamacare.
On the other hand, he supported the president in many important votes, including approving the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault when he was younger, and approving the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to be secretary of health.
During the midterm election debates, Mr. Jackson linked Mr. Collins to Mr. Trump, arguing that Mr. Collins could have used his position to influence the president's wishes on various votes.
In response, Collins argued that he has used his position as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees the creation of legislation that allocates federal funds to states and programs across the country, to serve Maine and its residents.
(Republican Susan Collins loses seat to Democrat, ending nearly 30 years in the Senate)
