Susan Collins will skip Trump’s midterm convention in Texas
Maine Senator Susan Collins Skips Trump‑Sponsored Midterm GOP Convention
Bangor, Me. — Senator Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, will not attend President Donald Trump’s midterm Republican convention slated for Dallas on September 9‑10. The decision follows Collins’s long‑standing practice of avoiding party gatherings while she is in a re‑election cycle, according to a campaign spokeswoman.
A spokesman for Collins’s campaign said the senator “has never attended a convention during a year when she was in cycle.” Blake Kernen added, “She runs her own campaign, independent of any national party schedule.” The announcement comes as Collins seeks a sixth term in the Senate, facing Democrat Troy Jackson, a fifth‑generation logger from Allagash and former Maine Senate president. Recent polling shows the race is closely contested.
The Dallas gathering is promoted as a showcase of Trump’s domestic “America First” agenda, with the former president scheduled to headline the two‑day event. Other possible speakers include Vice President JD Vance, First Lady Melania Trump, and several members of Trump’s Cabinet. Campaign material for the convention emphasizes Trump’s policy priorities and is expected to attract a national audience of Republican donors and activists.
Collins’s absence from the event underscores a broader trend among Republican candidates. A survey by Politico of 70 GOP contenders found that 45 either have not planned to attend or are still deciding. The convention’s timing—just over two months before the November 3 election—makes it a focal point for candidates seeking to align with the party’s base.
Democrats are targeting Collins as a vulnerable Republican in a state that backed Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election. They have sought to link Collins to Trump, whose approval ratings remain low halfway through his second term. Collins has countered by highlighting her record of bipartisan cooperation, stating she works with presidents of both parties when it benefits Maine and opposes them when it does not.
Trump has previously criticized Collins, yet he has acknowledged that Republicans need her to win re‑election. Vice President Vance, speaking in Maine earlier this year, praised Collins’s independence, joking that she “sometimes makes my job a little bit harder” because she is “the most independent member of the United States Senate.” Vance added, “But she makes it harder because she is coming in to work every day and not fighting for a political party or any abstraction. She comes to work and fights for the people of Maine.”
The Senate race in Maine is considered a potential key battle in determining control of the chamber. Democrats must gain four seats to recapture the majority, and Collins is the sole Republican incumbent representing a state that voted Democratic in the last presidential contest. Her campaign’s focus on local issues and independent voting record is likely to be a central theme as both parties intensify their outreach ahead of Election Day.
Polling data remains tight, with neither candidate opening a consistent lead. Analysts note that the national political climate, voter enthusiasm, and Collins’s ability to distance herself from partisan controversy will likely shape the outcome of the contest.
The decision to skip the Dallas convention reflects Collins’s strategic emphasis on running a campaign tailored to Maine voters rather than aligning with national party events. As the election approaches, both parties are expected to increase their activity in the state, with Collins’s team focusing on grassroots engagement and Jackson’s campaign highlighting his roots as a logger and former Senate leader.
