Democrat Graham Platner (L) leads Republican Susan Collins (R) in polls ahead of the 2026 Maine Senate race.
Poll Shows Unfavorable Rating for Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine Senate Race As Democrats Eye Flip
A new poll indicates that Maine’s 2026 Senate race could tilt in favor of Democrats, with both Governor Janet Mills and Graham Platner leading Republican Senator Susan Collins.
This is a significant moment for Maine’s politics as Collins has held the Senate seat since 1997 and has managed to win multiple reelections over the years. Early poll results suggest the upcoming contest for the Senate seat may be more competitive than expected.
What Do The Poll Results Say about Maine Senate Elections?
According to Newsweek, Emerson College Polling conducted a survey between March 21 and 23. A total of 1,075 Maine voters responded in the polls, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent.
Poll respondents were asked to choose their favorable candidate in hypothetical matchups. In a poll between Platner and Collins, the former led by 48 percent while the Republican received 41 percent of the total votes. Around 12 percent of people said they would either support someone else or are still undecided.
Similarly, in a survey featuring Mills opposite Collins, the former received 46 percent of the total votes, while the latter got 43 percent of the votes. Eight percent of respondents said they were supporting another candidate or were undecided.
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner says he wants to "defeat Susan Collins and the oligarchy that's destroying our country."
When the same poll was done between the two Democrats, it revealed Platner to be the clear winner, with 55 percent of the votes as opposed to Mills with 28 percent. At the same time, 13 percent of the voters were undecided.
Executive director of Emerson College Polling, Spencer Kimball, backed the poll results. According to him, Platner’s support especially comes from male voters, but he added that women voters also favor him.
“Platner has a significant lead over Governor Mills, which is outside the poll’s margin of error,” Kimbal said, according to Newsweek. “Male voters support Platner by a 41-point margin — 63 percent to 22 percent — while women support Platner by an 18-point margin — 50 percent to 32 percent.”
Emerson College Polling shares poll results showing Sen. Susan Collins trailing Democrats.
Apart from the matchup, the poll also measured the candidates’ favorability, giving a sense of how Maine voters feel about each candidate overall.
Collins appeared to be facing the most negative sentiment. About 57 percent of voters said they view her unfavorably, while 38 percent had a favorable opinion. Another 5 percent said they were neutral. Mills is in a somewhat similar position, though slightly less severe. Fifty four percent of voters view her unfavorably, compared to 40 percent who see her in a positive light.
Meanwhile, Platner’s are more split and less clear-cut. Forty two percent of voters have a favorable view of him, while 38 percent view him unfavorably. Around 20 percent either feel neutral or don’t know enough about him, suggesting voters might not yet know where they stand with him.
Among independent voters, the gap is even more striking for Collins. She has a net unfavorable rating of 30 points. On the other hand, Platner holds a slight net positive rating, while Mills has a small net negative standing.
While it’s still early, the poll findings point to a competitive fight ahead in Maine, with both parties likely to invest heavily in the campaign leading to the race.