Susan Collins Opponent: Sara Gideon Ready To Defeat Maine Republican In 2020 Senate Election?

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is one of the most unpopular senators among her constituents, and could face a tough reelection challenge from Sara Gideon, the Democratic speaker of the Maine House of Representatives .

Gideon, 48, has focused her campaign on getting special interests out of government, and has tried to portray Collins as out of touch. She also has said Collins has not done enough to stand up to President Trump, citing her controversial votes on impeachment and the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Morning Consult has said Collins' net approval rating from October to December is 52%, making her the most unpopular senator in the country. Gideon hopes to pick up support from Maine citizens tired of Collins.

Gideon entered the race in June, and has since received endorsements from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committtee, EMILY's List and NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Collins, 67, is considered to be the most moderate Republican in the Senate, and is known for breaking from her party. She holds antiabortion views and has voiced support for LGBT issues and gay marriage. She also voted to acquit former President Bill Clinton during his 1999 impeachment trial.

Collins has been in office since 1996, and has consistently won by wide margins against her election opponents, an impressive feat for a Republican in a state that typically votes for Democrats in presidential elections. Collins uses her moderate views to try and attract voters from Maine's more liberal coast along with more conservative voters in the rural interior parts of the state.

Yet, Collins has made some controversial decisions during the Trump era. Collins voted to appoint Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in October 2018, a decision that angered liberals. Kavanaugh had been accused of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford while in high school. Ford, now a professor at Palo Alto University, decided to speak to Congress about the allegations, with Kavanaugh calling them “totally false and outrageous.”

More recently, Collins voted to acquit President Trump on both of his impeachment charges: obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. Collins voted to allow witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial, but the vote ultimately failed in the chamber, leading to the quick end of the trial.

“The only lesson Trump has learned is that senators like Susan Collins aren't going to hold him accountable — it’s time to replace her in the Senate,” Gideon tweeted on Feb. 12. Collins has said that she hopes Trump will learn a lesson from impeachment, despite his acquittal.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Gideon managed to raise $3.5 million in donations while Collins only raised $2.3 million.

Voters will make their choice in the general election, Nov. 3.