Could Susan Collins 2026 go the way of Margaret Chase Smith 1972?

Collins has packed millions of dollars into spending bills for Maine. Will it materialize?

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, walks into the Senate chamber on July 1, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)Before the U.S. Senate began its August break, Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who heads the upper chamber’s appropriations committee, packed spending bills for the next fiscal year with millions of dollars for Maine, a tactic she’s become well-known for.  Collins, who is up for reelection in 2026, has …

Could Susan Collins 2026 go the way of Margaret Chase Smith 1972?

The challenge that ended the Maine senator's career half a century ago is worth another look.