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By Andrew Stanton
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Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, has offered an updated timeline as to when she may announce whether she will challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in the 2026 midterm elections.
Newsweek reached out to Collins and Mills for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Maine, a state that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris by 7 percentage points last November, is viewed as one of Democrats' best opportunities to flip a GOP-held seat in the midterms and is likely a must-win for their efforts to win a majority in the chamber.
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Collins, a moderate Republican who has broken from her party on some high-profile votes, has proven to be a formidable candidate in the past, handily winning reelection despite the state's consistent Democratic voting record. Mills is seen as a potentially strong candidate against Collins because she enjoys high name recognition and has won statewide by comfortable margins in the past.
But Mills hasn't said for sure whether she plans to run, and her candidacy remains a question mark on what could become one of the most competitive elections next year.
What To Know
Mills told reporters she is "seriously considering the run" and could make a decision by November, reported The Portland Press Herald.
"I'm not in any rush to make a decision. [I have] a lot to do with my present day job, so I'm seriously considering it," she said.
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Polling on the Maine Senate race remains limited. But recent surveys do reveal how Collins and Mills stack up in terms of popularity.
A University of New Hampshire poll from June found that 14 percent of Mainers view Collins favorably, while 57 percent view her unfavorably; 26 percent were neutral. On the other hand, it found that 51 percent of Mainers view Mills favorably and 41 percent unfavorably. Only seven percent were neutral on Mills.
It surveyed 846 Mainers between June 19 and June 23 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
A Pan Atlantic Research poll yielded better results for Collins.
It found that 49 percent of Mainers view the senator favorably, while 45 percent view her unfavorably. Meanwhile, 52 percent of respondents viewed Mills favorably, while 44 percent viewed her unfavorably. It surveyed 840 likely voters from May 12 to May 26, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
A recent Morning Consult poll found that Collins' approval reached a record low of 38 percent, while 54 percent of Mainers disapproved of her.
Meanwhile, Morning Consult has also found that Mills has an approval rating of +2, making her the least popular Democratic governor in the country and "one of the only to lose popularity since the last quarter of 2024." The Morning Consult polling was completed from April to June, 2025, and the sample sizes varied by state.
Kalshi betting odds have been split throughout August—on Thursday, Democrats had a 51 percent chance of winning the Senate race, while Republicans had a 49 percent chance of winning.
With Mills still undeclared, other Democrats such as Graham Platner and Jordan Wood have jumped into the race and have begun traveling across the state to make early inroads with voters.
Other than Maine, Democrats view North Carolina, where Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper announced a bid for the seat vacated by retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis, as a top pickup opportunity in a difficult map. The state backed Trump by about three points last November.
Beyond those two states, Democrats are defending seats in Trump-won Michigan and Georgia. They are also eyeing GOP-held seats in double-digit Trump states like Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. They would need to defend their seats and pick up at least two of the double-digit Trump backers to flip the Senate, where Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority.
What People Are Saying
Mills told Maine Public Radio in July: ""I mean, look, I wasn't born with a burning desire to be in Washington, D.C. — any month of the year. And what's going on there is a bit chaotic. It's not something anybody would want to jump into and be a part of automatically."
NRSC spokesperson Nick Puglia wrote in a statement in June: "No one fights harder for Maine than Senator Susan Collins. Her ability to pass serious legislation that genuinely improves the lives of Mainers is why she is the only choice to keep fighting for them in the U.S. Senate."
What Happens Next
Collins had not made a formal announcement about her reelection bid, but told CNN in May it is her "inclination to run" and that she is "preparing to do so."
The Cook Political Report classifies the race as "Lean Republican," meaning it is "considered competitive," but that Collins "has an advantage." Sabato's Crystal Ball also classifies the race as leaning toward Republicans.
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