The Senator Who Never Forgets — or Misses a Vote

The Senator Who Never Forgets — or Misses a Vote

A New York Times Portrait: Generosity With a Grudge List

The New York Times has published a deeply reported profile of Senator Susan Collins of Maine under the headline "Susan Collins Is Always Keeping Score." The portrait presents a lawmaker who has funneled millions of federal dollars into every corner of her state — boat landings, emergency operations centers, wastewater plants — while keeping careful track of allies and enemies alike. In Maine, people say, it is best to avoid getting on her bad side. Generosity and memory are the twin engines of Collins-style politics.

10,109 Votes in a Row: The Work-Ethic Pitch

Collins's official line is endurance and delivery. In a candidate-profile interview with NEWS CENTER Maine, carried by Yahoo, the 73-year-old, first elected to the Senate in November 1996, said she set the Senate record this year for most consecutive roll-call votes: 10,109 and counting, without missing one across 30 years in office. "This reflects a commitment to the people of Maine to always show up for work," she said, crediting an upbringing in Caribou, in Maine's northernmost county. She also notes that she is the first Maine senator in 92 years to chair the Appropriations Committee, the panel that approves one-quarter of all federal spending.

$1.5 Billion in Five Years: Fire Stations and Sewers

Earmarks are the centerpiece of her case for a sixth term. According to the same interview, she steered about $1.5 billion in earmarks to nearly 700 Maine projects over the past five years, including $87 million to renovate or rebuild 45 fire stations. The Boston Globe added more figures: for fiscal year 2026 alone she brought home $425 million, the fourth-highest total of any senator, funded more than 80 wastewater improvement projects in five years, and directed some $500 million to the University of Maine system. Wherever her campaign bus stops, a bridge, road, or firehouse she funded is usually nearby.

Tied in the Polls: The Trump Anchor Around Her

Why is the winningest vote-getter in modern Maine history in the fight of her career? Her Democratic challenger, former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson, has made the race a referendum on President Trump. At their first debate, covered by NBC News, Jackson charged that Collins votes with Trump 96 percent of the time; at the fourth and final debate on October 15 he sharpened it: "100 percent of the time, when Donald Trump needs her, Susan Collins is going to be there." Collins countered that she has "voted against my own party more often than any other senator," calling Jackson an automatic Democratic vote. The polls show a dead heat: a Marist survey of 1,449 registered voters, taken October 22–25 and reported by The Hill, had Collins trailing by 2 points within a 6.6-point margin of error, while a Fox News poll had the two tied.

The 2020 Playbook: Written Off, Then Winning Big

Team Collins has seen this movie before. The Epoch Times recalled that in 2020 nearly every poll showed her losing, yet she defeated Sara Gideon by more than 8 points even as Joe Biden carried Maine by more than 9. NBC News notes she is now the only Republican senator representing a state Trump lost in 2024. But skeptics abound: The Atlantic argues that Maine has changed while Collins has not, and TIME, citing a September CNN poll, found that only 29 percent of Jackson backers were voting for him — 71 percent were voting against Collins. Anti-incumbent energy, not love for the challenger, is driving the race.

One Week Left: Seniority Against the Mood

The final week will test whether transactional politics still works in a blue-trending state. Collins is betting that Appropriations gavel power and tangible projects outweigh voter anger over rents, groceries, and the Trump agenda. Reporting by The Washington Times from Auburn found many Mainers unmoved by ribbon-cuttings while household bills climb. A win would extend a three-decade Collins era and preserve the last Republican congressional seat in New England; a loss could help tip the Senate. The ledger of favors — and grudges — now goes to the voters for settlement.

Discussion: When a senator delivers for your state but sides with a president you oppose on the biggest votes, which should count more on Election Day — and what would decide it for you?