In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.Democrats in Washington had an ideal 2026 candidate in mind to take on the task of finally defeating centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), after five consecutive terms. This would be no cake walk, to be sure. Collins has held the seat for decades and has proven resilient in the face of attacks — including in her expectations-defying reelection victory six years ago.In that cycle, with a presidential contest at the top of the ticket, her party’s national nominee lost the statewide vote in Maine by 9 percentage points. Literally every single public poll projected a Collins loss, with many predicting a margin in the mid-to-high single digits.
Then, Mainers voted. Collins not only pulled off the “upset,” she did so comfortably, prevailing by 9 points. To actually beat her this time around, Democratic leaders concluded, their party should nominate the sitting female governor of the state. Collins would finally meet her match, especially in a blue-tinted midterm year.
