Collins says Schumer is targeting her again in 2026 Maine Senate race

HARRISON, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins, running for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, is once again a top target for Democrats.

“I’ve been Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s number one target, not just in this campaign, but in the last two campaigns. I’m always his number one target,” Collins told Fox News Digital in an exclusive national interview this week.

And this time the situation is no different; because Collins is seeking re-election in a competitive, high-profile 2026 race, one of only a handful of races nationwide that will likely determine whether Republicans retain control of their slim Senate majority.

Opposing Collins will likely be former military man and oyster farmer Graham Platner; Graham Platner, the outright Democratic nominee to succeed two-term Gov. Janet Mills, backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race last week after significantly outperforming Platner in fundraising and polling.

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Platner is backed by progressive champions the Sens. Bernie Sanders Elizabeth Warren of Vermont and Massachusetts. The first-time candidate advocates an economically populist agenda while targeting corporate influences and defending the working class.

Asked if Platner was too far to the left for voters in the northern New England state, Collins said, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But frankly, I don’t take anything for granted.” he said.

A Republican group supporting Collins is already criticizing Platner in a new ad for controversial comments he made on Reddit a decade ago about women and rape and for having a well-publicized tattoo on his chest that resembles a Nazi symbol.

The comments included a 2013 comment that Platner later deleted; His advice is that people worried about rape “don’t get so angry and end up having sex with someone they don’t want to.”

The candidate apologized for controversial Reddit posts that made headlines just after he launched his Senate campaign last fall. Platner said he got his skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow sailors serving in Croatia. He said he covered up the tattoo with a new design last year after learning it resembled a Nazi symbol.

Asked if he would target Platner for his political baggage, Collins said: “Obviously I will be weighing up my own record of success and achievement with the approach that Graham Platner is based on.”

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Senator Susan Collins of Maine will be interviewed by Fox News Digital in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Collins paused and said: “I don’t want to preview our strategy too much.”

But the senator added that he “hopes we can run a civil campaign where we discuss the problems and the successes.” That’s my goal.”

Platner, an outside candidate, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.”

He described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade” and underlined her support for some Presidents. Donald Trumpon his agenda and accuses him of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy. “He and Republican politicians like him have put the interests of billionaires and corporations before people,” he charged.

Republicans — currently the party in power in Washington, D.C. — were already facing traditional political headwinds that led to the loss of congressional seats. Add to that a tough climate fueled by persistent inflation, with polls showing rising gas prices tied to an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s secretive approval ratings.

When asked how she would overcome the charge against Republicans for the high cost of living, Collins stated that she supports the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I recently secured the release of the last tranche of money because there is so much need in the state of Maine and the cost of living is high here.”

Collins also emphasized that she opposes “cuts to food stamp benefits and other programs designed for low-income families,” because I know how important they are.

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Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine tours a food bank on May 5, 2026, in Harrison, Maine. The food bank was able to expand thanks to federal funding the senator helped obtain. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The senator was interviewed at a food bank that thrived thanks to federal funding Collins helped obtain.

“It’s so satisfying to be here today and know that I played such a small but important role in helping this food bank expand its community room, its kitchen, and become even more successful,” she exclaimed. “This food bank is phenomenal. It serves over 1,000 families every week.”

Democrats’ narrow path to regain control of the Senate runs through Maine, and Collins will once again face attack ads.

Pointing to Schumer, Collins said: “He, along with his most recent affiliates, funneled more than $160 million to Maine, all with negative publicity, trashing me and misrepresenting my record. Now he’s already doing that.”

But he added: “Fortunately, Maine people are smart and know lies and distortions when they see them.”