# 2026 United States Senate election in Maine

Elections in Maine :
Federal offices
U.S. President
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2026 :
State government
Gubernatorial elections
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State Senate elections
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State House elections
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2024 :
Ballot measures
People's vetoes
2009Question 1
2011Question 1
2018Question 1 (Jun)
2020Question 1
Citizen initiated referendums
2012Question 1
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2015Question 1
2016
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Question 2
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Question 4
Question 5
2017
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Question 2
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Question 1 (Nov)
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Constitutional amendments
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Question 3
Legislatively referred referendums
2024
Question 5 :
City of Portland
Mayoral elections
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2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
The 2026 United States Senate election in Maine will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Maine. Incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins is running for re-election to a sixth term in office. This will be the only Republican-held Senate seat up for election in 2026 in a state that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election. This election will coincide with U.S. House elections for Maine's two congressional districts, a gubernatorial election, and various other state, county and local elections.

## Background

Maine is considered to be a moderately blue state at the federal level, with Kamala Harris carrying Maine by roughly 7 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats also control the governorship, the state legislature, and both seats in Maine's U.S. House congressional delegation.
Collins was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected in four subsequent elections, significantly outperforming other Republicans in the state. In 2020, despite almost all polls and analysts predicting that she would lose her re-election bid, Collins unexpectedly defeated Democratic nominee Sara Gideon by about 8 percentage points. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden carried Maine by about 9 percentage points on the same ballot.
As the only seat up held by a Republican in a state that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 and Collins' record of overperformance despite the state's Democratic lean, Maine is considered a key Senate battleground in 2026. This Senate seat has been held by Republicans since 1979. With the decline of ticket splitting and being in a midterm year with a Republican president, Collins is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent senator.

## Republican primary

Collins was first elected in 1996. With Collins being a moderate and potential swing vote, she could face a more conservative primary opponent.

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Susan Collins, incumbent U.S. senator (1997–present)
* Dan Smeriglio, former police officer

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Filed paperwork

* Natasha Alcala

#### Potential

* Jared Golden, U.S. Representative from Maine's 2nd congressional district (2019–present)
* Troy Jackson, former President of the Maine Senate (2018–2024) from Aroostook County (2008–2014, 2016–2024) (exploring a run for governor)
* Janet Mills, Governor of Maine (2019–present)
* Chellie Pingree, U.S. Representative from Maine's 1st congressional district (2009–present) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2002

## Independent and third party candidates
### Candidates
#### Filed paperwork

* Phillip Rench, outgoing member of the Maine Space Corporation Board of Directors (2023–2025)

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Inside Elections | Battleground | January 17, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean R | February 11, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | February 13, 2025 |