Maine Politics: Democrat Sara Gideon Gaining More Gound On Republican Susan Collins?

Maine has become an important state for the control of the Senate. Democratic candidate Sara Gideon now has a 12-point lead over Republican Sen. Susan Collins, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

The survey shows Gideon with 54% of likely voters, with Collins at 42%.

"The tide has turned on Senator Susan Collins, who was so popular in Maine that she won nearly 70 percent of the vote the last time she ran. Likely voters are sending the message that there's no 'middle of the road' when it comes to President Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the state," Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Mary Snow said about the survey.

Collins can expect a tighter race than in 2008, the last time she was running during a presidential election. Collins won convincingly over Democrat Tom Allen in that race, 61.3% to 38.6%.

Collins, a moderate pro-choice and pro-LGBT Republican, has served in the Senate since 1997. She is also considered a moderate voice in her party on environment and climate change issues.

Collins has sought to appeal to more conservative voters in the interior part of Maine, along with more liberal voters on the coast. During the Trump era, however, Collins has struggled to maintain her balancing act. Her decision to vote in favor of Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, along with her vote to acquit Trump of his impeachment charges earlier this year, have disappointed liberals and many centrists.

On impeachment, Collins said she hoped Trump learned his lesson.

Collins has been frequently criticized for being concerned by Trump’s behavior, but doing little to impede the president’s actions. A satirical “Collins Scale of Concern” image has circulated on social media to mock the longtime senator.

Gideon has served as the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives since December 2016. Gideon has emphasized healthcare policy and supports a public option. Gideon has attacked Collins for voting with Trump 94% of the time in his first two years in office.

The Democrats need to flip three or four seats to retake the Senate, depending on whether Democratic nominee Joe Biden wins the White House. Other promising Senate races for Democrats include Arizona, North Carolina, Colorado, South Carolina, Georgia, Iowa and Montana.