Susan Collins Defeat Ends Republican Senate Presence in New England
The loss leaves the six-state region without a GOP senator for the first time since the party was founded in the 1850s.
By Mia Bennett ·
Senator Susan Collins of Maine lost her bid for reelection on Tuesday, ending nearly 30 years of continuous service. Her defeat removes the last Republican from the New England Senate. For the first time since the Republican Party was established, the region has no senator from the party.
Jonathan Martin of Politico noted that Collins represented a specific type of politician that is becoming rare. Her loss confirms a long-term shift in the region’s political alignment. Since 1865, New England has moved from a solidly Republican area to a Democratic one.
The shift mirrors trends seen in the South during the latter half of the 20th century. Political realignment around civil rights and race accelerated the change. The Senate often reflects these changes slowly, but the pattern in New England is now complete. The region’s 12 Senate seats are now held by Democrats or independents who caucus with them.
Two of the region’s senators are independents. Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont both caucus with the Senate Democrats. This tradition of independent candidates adds complexity to the partisan count. However, neither holds a Republican caucus seat.
The number of sitting Republican senators from New England will drop to zero in 2027. Historical data shows a steady decline over the decades. The erosion of GOP power was not sudden but occurred over many election cycles. The current result is the final step in that process.
Political eras do not remain static. The Deep South became fully Republican in the Senate only in 2015. That status changed quickly. A Democrat won a special election in Alabama in 2017. In 2020, Georgia elected two Democrats to the Senate. On Tuesday, a Democrat won in South Carolina, and one leads in Mississippi.
The New England shift completes a pattern visible in other regions. The party map has flipped in many states over the last 60 years. The result of Tuesday’s election is a fact, not a projection. The next Republican to represent New England in the Senate will be the first since the party’s founding.
