Sen. Susan Collins campaigns with Joe Manchin as her tough reelection bid leans on bipartisan branding
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Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chasing a sixth term, leaned on her carefully curated bipartisan image with former Democrat Joe Manchin while facing a serious challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins, the lone Republican senator from New England, spent Wednesday touring Maine with former Democratic senator Joe Manchin in a bid to polish her bipartisan credentials ahead of a competitive race for a sixth term. After a breakfast stop at Simones’ Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston, Collins said she and Manchin had worked on "every piece of bipartisan legislation that passed and became law" during their time in office, a familiar claim meant to distract from her deeply partisan record when it matters most.
"To lose Collins would be to lose the soul of the Senate," Manchin said, praising her independent streak and willingness to break with President Donald Trump on certain issues.
"This is a true blue-blooded Maine person who knows exactly where she came from," he added.
The pair later visited a New Balance shoe facility in Norway before Jackson, a former state Senate president, scheduled a campaign event in Portland with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Jackson, 58, trails Collins in fundraising by less than $3 million after raising more than $20 million in a recent quarter, underscoring how seriously Democrats are contesting a seat that Collins has long tried to present as safely hers.
Collins, 73, has emphasized her independence from Trump, noting she is "not exactly his favorite senator" and that she does not expect the president to campaign in Maine. She has previously voted to convict Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial and has highlighted instances where she opposed party leadership, such as opposing the nomination of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, moves that are often presented as courage but also serve her political survival.
Democratic critics have focused on Collins' past votes, including her support for Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation and her vote on a Medicaid-cut bill, while Republican ads have portrayed Jackson as a bully, an accusation he denies. Collins also distanced herself from a Republican super-PAC ad targeting Jackson, calling for its removal, a sign of how carefully she tries to balance right-wing donors and a public image built on moderation.
The race comes as national polls show a desire for change in Washington and as President Donald Trump's approval has slipped since taking office. Collins' campaign aims to position her as a centrist voice capable of checking partisan extremes in the Senate, even as critics argue she has spent years enabling the system she now claims to restrain.