Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, leads with 45% among the 847 registered voters who were asked for their first ranked choice. Collins' supporters argue her record reflects that she is not beholden to party or ideology. "There are a number of scenarios where one electoral vote could actually make the difference and decide the presidency," Shea said. But Shea said that should be considered an outlier given other surveys, adding that their research has shown a race within the three to four percentage point range for months. Collins can fairly argue that her environmental voting record hasn't changed much under Trump—her score on the League of Conservation Voters scorecard now hovers near her lifetime average of 61 percent substantially higher than that of any other current GOP Senate candidate. Money has poured in from around the country to fund Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.

A national survey early this year found Collins with the highest disapproval rating of any senator. The cap-and-dividend plan that Collins herself co-sponsored in Congress a decade ago took much the same approach. But in 2017, while voicing misgivings, she voted to open the pristine wilderness area to oil exploration as part of President Donald Trump's big tax cut bill, which she supported. Collins' decision-making in the Trump era—often airing doubts but ultimately throwing her support behind the president—has become the stuff of Saturday Night Live satire. Gideon (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Maine.She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.She advanced from the Democratic primary on July …

This story is part of a series focusing on climate change in 11 key Senate races on the ballot in November. After prolonged reflection, she supported Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation and Trump's impeachment acquittal. She is far better funded than the Democrats in the last two lopsided contests, each of which Collins won by more than 30 points. Gideon defeated two progressive supporters of the Green New Deal in the Maine Democratic primary, and she neither endorses nor criticizes that idea. She has been trailing in polls behind Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, who for four years has served as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.

The news cycle is jampacked with polls.

BDN writer Michael Shepherd contributed to this report. Collins, for her part, has long cast herself as an independent voice who values common sense and compromise. McConnell's image was only slightly underwater: 44 percent had a favorable view of the Senate leader and 46 percent had an unfavorable view. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? ", Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at pbailey@USAToday.com or 502-582-4475, Senator Susan Collins' disapproval rating is lowest among all senators. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is trailing her Democratic challenger by 5 points in a poll released Monday that shows a difficult path ahead for the Republican’s reelection bid. His approval rating of 40 percent was five points behind Collins. Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, leads with 45% among the 847 registered voters who were asked for their first ranked choice. As Maine House Speaker, Gideon is well known in the state and has the kind of moderate profile that has appeal in a state where one-third of the electorate is independent. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. But she supported many other Trump nominees opposed by environmentalists, including Kavanaugh, who has a record of skepticism about federal authority to regulate greenhouse gases. There's a reason, besides the pie, that cars were lined up to get into the parking lot of the American Legion hall in Kennebunkport, Maine, on a chilly night in November, and her name is Sara Gideon. Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, left, and incumbent Sen. Susan Collins participate in a debate at the Holiday Inn By The Bay, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 in Portland, Maine. To let the oil companies in, Collins said, "would be akin to wasting resources that should rightfully be there for future generations.".

The race between Gideon and Collins is one of the most critical for control of the Senate next year and has been one of the most expensive races in the nation. All were dead on arrival in McConnell's Senate. The Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found House Speaker Sara Gideon was leading Collins with 46 percent of votes to 41 percent for the Republican incumbent seeking a fifth term. However, I caution you, my excitable friend, that this is merely a momentary snapshot six months before Election Day. Things are starting to look dire for Susan Collins in Maine.

Eighteen years ago, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) stood with eight other GOP senators to block President George W. Bush's plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. In the state legislature, Sara passed legislation and worked alongside addiction professionals like Tim to combat the opioid crisis and save lives. Ninety-two percent of Democrats said Collins should wait, and 60% of independents agreed, but among Republicans just 24% said the four-term senator should wait until either Trump or Biden takes office in January. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But the green groups, like a slew of progressive and women's organizations that have abandoned Collins—labor unions, Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign, Emily's List— say her support for Trump and his agenda have made it impossible for them to support her. *Click any amount to start your donation. With Trump in the White House and McConnell at the Senate Majority Leader podium, Collins has not been in a position to make much difference on climate, even if she accepts the science.

In Maine, the poll shows Biden ahead by more than 20 points, 59 percent to 38 percent — a far greater Democratic advantage than Hillary Clinton's 3-point victory over Trump in 2016.

Other snapshots of the race in recent weeks have shown Gideon with a significantly larger lead over Collins. A new poll shows Democrat Sara Gideon opening up a large lead in the Maine Senate race over GOP Sen. Susan Collins, a result that diverges from other data showing a close contest as Collins seeks a fifth term this fall. Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month showed Gideon up by 12%, Romney, R-Utah, said he supports a confirmation vote, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Sobering news for Susan. Many environmentalists are working to flip the Senate to Democratic control rather than backing a Republican moderate who hasn't been able to advance solutions or block drilling in the Arctic.