View source for United States Senate election in Maine, 2020

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The '''2020 United States Senate election in Maine''' was a Senate election that was held on November 3, 2020, concurring with other congressional races in addition to the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]]. Incumbent [[RINO]] senator [[Susan Collins]], up for re-election, ran for a fifth term in office. Trapped between pressure from both [[liberals]] who she traditionally appealed to and [[conservatives]] who seek to unify the [[Republican Party]] behind a strongly [[conservative]] message and beyond the weak leadership led by establishmentarians during the Obama era, Collins faced the hardest re-election fight in her political career, as strong disdain from both sides in her relatively [[liberal]] home state of [[Maine]] had set up a key battleground in the [[2020 U.S. Senate elections]]. Her re-election proved to require a significant backing from [[independent voters]] who have long provided the crucial support for her previous landslide victories.

The primaries were held on July 14, 2020.<ref>[https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maine,_2020 United States Senate election in Maine, 2020 - Ballotpedia]</ref>

During the campaign, Gideon was compared to former U.S. senator [[William Hathaway|William Dodd "Bill" Hathaway]] as fake polls showed her leading Collins in the general election.<ref>Shephard, Michael (August 26, 2019). [https://bangordailynews.com/2019/08/26/news/a-maine-political-legend-was-ousted-in-1972-now-a-senator-is-running-for-a-fifth-term-too/ What Margaret Chase Smith’s ouster could mean for Susan Collins]. ''Bangor Daily News''. Retrieved April 18, 2021.</ref><ref>McAllister, Ron (November 7, 2020). [https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2020/10/07/opinionthe-observer-four-terms-and-out-you-go-senator/42730979/ Opinion/The Observer: Four terms and out you go, Senator]. ''Seacoastonline''. Retrieved April 18, 2021.</ref> Hathaway defeated four-term [[RINO]] incumbent [[Margaret Chase Smith]] in the 1972 elections after attacking her for not being sufficiently left-wing, and many anticipated a likely repeat in the 2020 Senate race.

==Republican primary==
===Susan Collins===
Senator [[Susan Collins]] ran for re-election, and faced a tough fight in her bid to serve for an additional six years in the [[United States Senate]]. Facing strong [[conservative]] pressure in the Trump era, Collins has overall maintained a very moderate record on legislation, although she tended to align herself more with her party line on judicial confirmations,<ref>Two references:
*[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/abortion-lisa-murkowski-susan-collins-trump-judges_n_5ade226ae4b0b2e8113244df Pro-Choice GOP Senators Keep Voting For Trump’s Anti-Abortion Judges]
*[https://www.salon.com/2019/06/06/pro-choice-susan-collins-has-voted-to-confirm-32-anti-abortion-trump-judges/ "Pro-choice" Susan Collins has voted to confirm 32 anti-abortion Trump judges]</ref> especially with her vote to confirm [[Brett Kavanaugh]] despite the mob-led [[Kavanaugh smear|smear]] against the latter.<ref>Two references:
*[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/10/05/susan-collins-vote-yes-brett-kavanaugh/ Susan Collins Announces She Will Vote to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/06/us/politics/kavanaugh-live-vote-senate-confirmation.html How Every Senator Voted on Kavanaugh’s Confirmation]</ref> In addition, Collins supported<ref>[https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins%E2%80%99-statement-support-senate-tax-reform-bill Senator Collins’ Statement in Support of Senate Tax Reform Bill]</ref> and provided the crucial last Senate vote in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a [[Republican]]-led bill that lowered taxes and significantly boosted the economy.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/s303 H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]</ref> However, among Collins' key votes in bucking with her party included voting against [[Obamacare]] repeal efforts<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/us/politics/senate-votes-repeal-obamacare.html How Each Senator Voted On Obamacare Repeal Propoals]</ref> and against banning [[late-term abortion]].<ref>[https://www.lifenews.com/2020/02/25/here-are-the-two-republicans-who-voted-against-banning-late-term-abortions/ Here Are The Two Republicans Who Voted Against Banning Late-Term Abortions]</ref>

According to ''The Portland Press Herald'' on May 12, 2020, Sen. Collins was named the most bi-partisan senator by the Lugar Center for the seventh year in a row.<ref>[https://www.pressherald.com/2020/05/12/collins-again-named-most-bipartisan-member-of-u-s-senate/ Collins again named most bipartisan member of U.S. Senate]</ref>

Collins easily won her primary election uncontested,<ref name="Maine U.S. Senate Primary Election Results">[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/14/us/elections/results-maine-senate-primary-election.html Maine U.S. Senate Primary Election Results]</ref> aside from one write-in challenger.

==Democrat primary==
===Sara Gideon===
[[Sara Gideon]], a state representative from [[Maine]]'s 48th district and the current speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, ran to unseat [[Susan Collins]]. Despite being a  far-left totalitarian [[progressive]],<ref>[https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/137334/sara-gideon Sara Gideon's Voting Records]</ref> Gideon was backed by the Democrat [[establishment]] in a massive attempt to defeat the incumbent Sen. Collins,<ref>[https://www.dscc.org/news/dscc-endorses-sara-gideon-in-maine-senate-campaign/ DSCC Endorses Sara Gideon in Maine Senate Campaign]</ref> as the latter's record for the last three years supposedly "prove" how she is not [[liberal]] enough, despite having twenty years of a liberal record prior to that.

Gideon has advocated for higher taxes; her husband reportedly has a "shady" tax history.<ref>Two references:
*[https://mainebusinessdaily.com/stories/537350838-millionaire-u-s-senate-candidate-gideon-wants-wealthy-to-pay-more-in-taxes-despite-husband-s-shady-tax-history Millionaire U.S. Senate candidate Gideon wants wealthy to pay more in taxes despite husband's shady tax history]
*[https://bangordailynews.com/2020/08/15/politics/ad-watch-gop-group-gets-personal-against-sara-gideon-on-taxes-but-misses-context/ Ad Watch: GOP group gets personal against Sara Gideon on taxes but misses context]</ref>

====Ethics issues====
Gideon faced an ethics complaint after breaking the law in accepting reimbursements for her Senate campaign.<ref>[https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/458560-susan-collins-challenger-hit-with-ethics-complaints-over-reimbursements Susan Collins challenger hit with ethics complaints over reimbursements]</ref> In addition, it was reported that Gideon's campaign lacked transparency, with their ads being funded by dark money groups.<ref>[https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/09/10/dark_money-fueled_ads_heat_up_maine_senate_battle_141211.html 'Dark Money'-Fueled Ads Heat Up Maine Senate Battle]</ref>

====Criticism====
As noted by a guest column from ''The Portland Press Herald'' in late April 2020, [[Susan Collins]] acted as a strong leader amidst the [[coronavirus pandemic]] while Gideon merely attempted to exploit the outbreak into political ploys.<ref>[https://www.pressherald.com/2020/04/21/guest-column-unlike-gideon-collins-is-born-to-lead-in-time-of-crisis/ Guest column: Unlike Gideon, Collins is born to lead in time of crisis]</ref>

A [[Liberal hypocrisy|hypocrite]], Gideon disregarded [[due process]] during the [[Kavanaugh smear]] although remained silent on the allegations against [[Joe Biden]] made by [[Tara Reade]].<ref>[https://thefederalist.com/2020/05/05/democrat-taking-on-susan-collins-in-maine-has-a-huge-me-too-problem/ Democrat Taking On Susan Collins In Maine Has A Huge Me Too Problem]</ref>

According to an opinion article by the ''[[Washington Examiner]]'' on May 13, 2020, [[Sara Gideon]] merely acts as a  partisan politician shilling for [[abortion]] "rights" compared to Sen. Collins' concerns about justice.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/susan-collins-cares-about-justice-sara-gideon-cares-about-abortion Susan Collins cares about justice. Sara Gideon cares about abortion.]</ref>

Gideon has faced criticism after avoiding a primary debate<ref>[https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2020/06/10/step-up-speaker-gideon-maine-voters-demand-dscc-candidate-sara-gideon-debate-primary-opponents-n2570432 'Step up, Speaker Gideon:' Maine Voters Demand DSCC Candidate Sara Gideon Debate Primary Opponents]</ref> and later participating in a PAC fundraiser.<ref>[https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/after-dodging-dem-primary-debate-sara-gideon-participates-in-private-pac-fundraiser/ After Dodging Dem Primary Debate, Sara Gideon Participates in Private PAC Fundraiser]</ref>

===Bre Kidman===
Bre Kidman, a self-described “non-binary” [[democratic socialist]] who endorsed [[Bernie Sanders]] for the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]],<ref name="Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo: The guillotine as 'a symbol of the work we have to do'">[https://www.theblaze.com/news/guillotine_symbol_democrats Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo: The guillotine as 'a symbol of the work we have to do']</ref> also ran in the [[Democrat]] primary. An advocate of using violence for political means, Kidman unveiled a [[guillotine]] as her campaign logo,<ref name="Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo: The guillotine as 'a symbol of the work we have to do'"/> asserting that a “violent uprising becomes inevitable” if government issues aren't resolved.

===Betsy Sweet===
[[Far-left]] activist Betsy Sweet is also ran in the Democrat primary. A [[hypocrite]], she claimed on the main page of her campaign website that “every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect”,<ref>[https://www.betsysweet.com/ Betsy Sweet for U.S. Senate]</ref> while also asserting in a "Priorities" subpage that [[abortion]] is a supposed “woman's right to choose”.<ref>[https://www.betsysweet.com/priorities/ Priorities | Betsy Sweet for U.S. Senate]</ref>

===Primary results===
Gideon ultimately won the [[Democrat]] primary with over 70% of the votes cast.<ref name="Maine U.S. Senate Primary Election Results"/>

==Issues==
Gideon has been strongly criticized for reportedly being complicit in a child sex abuse scandal implicating a [[Maine]] Democrat state representative, who faced multiple allegations of preying on young girls;<ref>[https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2020/06/17/sara-gideon-n2570827 'Party Loyalty Over Justice:' NRSC Blasts Sara Gideon for Complicity in Child Sex Abuse Scandal]</ref> the former had apparently taken insufficient action. It was later reported in early September 2020 initially by the [[Washington Free Beacon]] that Gideon had blocked an ethics investigation into the matter.<ref>Two references:
*[https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/maine-dem-spiked-ethics-probe-into-partymates-teen-sex-abuse/?utm_source=actengage&utm_campaign=FreedomMail&utm_medium=email Maine Dem Spiked Ethics Probe Into Partymate’s Teen Sex Abuse]
*[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/09/10/maine-democrat-candidate-accused-of-blocking-ethics-investigation-into-lawmakers-sex-misconduct-allegations/ Maine Democrat Rival to Susan Collins Blocked Ethics Investigation into Lawmaker’s Alleged Sex Misconduct]</ref> It was reported by [[Breitbart]] in late October 2020 that the state representative had cast a crucial vote for Gideon to become Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/10/22/democrat-teacher-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-was-crucial-vote-for-maine-senate-candidate-sara-gideon/ Democrat Teacher Accused of Sexual Misconduct Was Crucial Vote for Maine Senate Candidate Sara Gideon]</ref> Unsurprisingly, she has also blocked legislation to outlaw [[female genital mutilation]] because they were somehow "racist".<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2020/08/14/maine-democratic-senate-hopeful-repeatedly-killed-racist-bills-to-outlaw-female-genital-mutilation-n793814 Maine: Democratic Senate Hopeful Repeatedly Killed ‘Racist’ Bills to Outlaw Female Genital Mutilation]
*[https://www.westernjournal.com/dem-senate-candidate-repeatedly-blocked-bills-banning-female-genital-mutilation/ Dem Senate Candidate 'Repeatedly' Blocked Bills Banning Female Genital Mutilation]
*[https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/maine-democrat-sara-gideon-killed-bills-outlawing-female-genital-mutilation/ Maine Democrat Sara Gideon Killed Bills Outlawing Female Genital Mutilation]</ref>

It was initially reported by the [[Washington Free Beacon]] on September 3, 2020 that Gideon's campaign staffers had donated to bail out violent thugs in the [[DFL riots]] via the [[Minnesota Freedom Fund]].<ref>[https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/maine-dem-campaign-staffers-helped-bail-out-violent-criminals/ Maine Dem Campaign Staffers Helped Bail Out Violent Criminals]</ref>

The [[Washington Times]] reported in early October 2020 that Collins was open to meeting with [[Amy Coney Barrett]].<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/1/susan-collins-open-meeting-judge-amy-coney-barrett/ Sen. Susan Collins open to meeting with Judge Barrett]</ref>

Gideon has received the backing of donors from [[Portland, Oregon]].<ref>[https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2020/10/21/sara-gideon-n2578527 Sara Gideon Was Bankrolled by Portland, Oregon Donors While Claiming to Oppose 'Defunding the Police']</ref>

==Susan Collins’ approval rating==
Due to having a very [[moderate]] record and being unable to sufficiently appease both [[conservatives]] and [[liberals]] in the Trump era, Sen. Collins' statewide approval rating has plummeted from once being the second-most popular senator<ref>[https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/icymi-senator-collins-second-most-popular-senator-america ICYMI: Senator Susan Collins...]</ref> to second-least popular by July 2019.<ref>[https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mitch-mcconnell-is-the-only-senator-more-unpopular-than-susan-collins/ Mitch McConnell Is The Only Senator More Unpopular Than Susan Collins]</ref> Her approval ratings kept dropping over time, and by April 2020, only around 37% of voters in [[Maine]] approved of the senator, according to a poll,<ref>[https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/492574-collins-approval-rating-drops-in-maine-poll Collins approval rating drops in Maine: poll]</ref> although it's important to note that the polling had a low sample size.

==Far-left attacks against Collins==
[[File:Liberalstupidity.png|thumb|right|370px|Far-leftists outraged over Collins' victory in the general election demonstrated their sheer stupidity in being utterly ignorant of [[split-ticket voting]].]]
:''See also: [[Liberal whining]], [[Left-wing violence in the Trump era]]
[[Susan Collins]] was subject to sexist attacks by ''[[The New York Times]]'' after having supported and voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.<ref>[https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tom-blumer/2017/12/20/ny-times-mounts-sexist-attacks-against-sen-susan-collins-her-tax-bill NY Times Mounts Sexist Attacks Against Sen. Susan Collins For Her Tax Bill Support]</ref>

Prior to the Senate vote on [[Brett Kavanaugh]], a leftist threatened to rape a member of the Collin's staff such that she votes in favor of confirming Kavanaugh.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/09/12/left-attacks-susan-collins-over-kavanaugh-possible-bribe-attempts-threats-to-rape-staff/ Left Attacks Susan Collins over Kavanaugh: Possible Bribe Attempts, Threats to Rape Staff]</ref> Around this time, the senator's office was also sent an obscene “three-foot-long cardboard cutout of male genitalia”.<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/13/susan-collins-kavanaugh-obscene/ Susan Collins Was Sent A ‘Three-Foot-Long Cardboard Cutout Of Male Genitalia’]</ref>

After having voted to confirm [[Brett Kavanaugh]], [[Susan Collins]] was subject to nationwide mass [[leftist]] hysteria, with the [[militant atheist]] [[Kathy Griffin]] calling for the senator to “go to hell”.<ref>[https://www.westernjournal.com/hollywood-elites-launch-vile-attacks-sen-collins-kavanaugh-vote/ Hollywood Elites Launch Vile Attacks on Sen. Collins After Kavanaugh Vote]</ref>

Sen. Collins was subject to racist attacks by the [[anti-Semitic]] [[Linda Sarsour]] merely for being a white woman.<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/5/womens-march-leader-sarsour-launches-racial-attack/ Women's March leader Linda Sarsour launches racial attack against 'white woman' Susan Collins]</ref>

The [[far-left]] author [[Stephen King]] has lied about [[Susan Collins]]' Senate record, claiming that the latter was supposedly “silent” on “the unfair way Merrill Garland was treated”,<ref>[https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2018/10/07/stephen-king-caught-straight-up-lying-about-susan-collins-and-merrick-garland/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=fdc08acb335c557f3a7edf53b61ea0dc9f3491fe-1588126405-0-AdUCNEbLahE8qavzhyiKay_D0PnaCw5rxw7Ea3NxsPzqFh0w5yOmLCrouLDhi5TJ7QqfNupNpWTIirroA9rd8R-q1Ha00o2fo8Lmp8RIVRWhL_eL4_17COELcMAdyvSp0D_11a4qLbP8p-BBuh6xPj5G4_j-ZN7LCoXBBi8zTHp86fWRBLzlOqku4rAbjU0M3gcy7010SYeL4yhrNveqpBQFNs2xuOGsE2WFHnPMQk3N_cGj2mfyDu7toBTZenoK0vhUJQ_t-f2AsJplG10LqLnp5yxjXm9CHKcHCz4FaFe9ndL2N27Jdl4kNyxIji0v3t5bdgRGZgtLt5U9d7b0luV4IG9lWoFNDkgWBW6LAvEr4B7Y2dqkF_mS54Wcbsrxclmchq50EEE2TceoZr9i78o Stephen King caught STRAIGHT UP LYING about Susan Collins and Merrick Garland]</ref> despite this being downright false, in addition to the fact that King, despite having authored well-known books, had ironically misspelled [[Merrick Garland]] with "Merrill".

As reported by the ''[[Daily Caller]]'' in April 2019, a woman in [[Maine]] was charged and sentenced to ten years in prison for sending to Sen. Collins a letter coated in [[ricin]].<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/08/woman-charged-susan-collins-poison/ Woman Charged For Sending Sen. Susan Collins Letter Reportedly Coated With Poison]</ref>

After having voted to acquit [[Donald Trump]] on the [[Trump impeachment|sham impeachment articles]], Collins reported that she was receiving death threats from deranged leftists.<ref>[https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/02/09/sen-susan-collins-getting-credible-death-threats-from-deranged-leftists-n381376 Sen. Susan Collins Getting 'Credible' Death Threats From Deranged Leftists Over Impeachment Vote]</ref>

Amidst the [[coronavirus]] outbreak and the [[U.S. Senate]] negotiating a massive stimulus bill to provide aid to [[Americans]], Senator Collins requested unanimous consent to speak on the Senate floor when she was blocked by [[Minority Leader]] [[Chuck Schumer]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1242129378852720641 CSPAN on Twitter: "@SenatorCollins..."] '''(Warning: Video clip contains foul language)'''</ref> Later, when given a chance to speak, Collins harshly called out the [[Democrats]] for objecting to and blocking efforts to proceed with the stimulus, calling it “disgraceful”.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeARFg6KGV4&t= Maine Sen. Susan Collins speaks out against 'partisan delay' she feels is blocking emergency economy]</ref> In response to this, the [[socialist]] [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] mocked Collins and misleadingly claimed that the latter “fought HARD to strip pandemic prep funding”.<ref>Two references:
*[https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2020/03/23/ask-aoc-to-show-her-work-aoc-peddles-an-absolute-lie-in-order-to-shame-gop-sen-susan-collins-for-calling-out-senate-dems/ ‘Ask AOC to show her work’! AOC peddles ‘an absolute lie’ in order to shame GOP Sen. Susan Collins for calling out Senate Dems]
*[https://thepoliticalinsider.com/aoc-mocks-senator-susan-collins-passionate-plea-with-democrats-to-help-the-american-people/ AOC Mocks Senator Susan Collins’ Passionate Plea With Democrats To Help The American People]</ref> In addition, this was cited by the [[far-left]] hate group [[Occupy Democrats]] to further attacking the senior senator.<ref>[https://occupydemocrats.com/2020/03/23/ocasio-cortez-hits-susan-collins-for-throwing-a-fit-over-dems-blocking-corporate-slush-fund-bill/ Ocasio-Cortez hits Susan Collins for throwing a fit over Dems blocking corporate slush fund bill]</ref>

After [[Sara Gideon]]'s campaign released an ad attacking Sen. Collins for having worked hard on the Paycheck Protection Program amidst the [[CCP pandemic]] (while Gideon adjourned the state legislature<ref>[https://speakergideon.com/2020/03/14/speaker-gideon-legislative-leadership-announce-the-legislature-will-suspend-work-early-next-week-in-response-to-covid-19/ Speaker Gideon, Legislative Leadership announce the Legislature will suspend work early next week in response to COVID-19]</ref>), it received a "Three Pinocchios" rating from the left-wing [[Washington Post]] in mid-June 2020 for being “highly misleading”.<ref>[https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/06/15/susan-collins-sara-gideon-ad Fact check: Democratic ad misleadingly attacks Susan Collins on the Paycheck Protection Program]</ref>

==Election analysis==
:''See also: [[Ranked-choice voting]]
Both the Cook Political Report and [[Politico]] have rated the general election as a "tossup".<ref>Two references:
*[https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings 2020 Senate Race ratings | The Cook Political Report]
*[https://www.politico.com/2020-election/race-forecasts-and-predictions/senate/ Who wins 2020? Senate Election Predictions - Politico]</ref> Given this, in addition to low approval ratings for the incumbent Sen. Collins, as mentioned above, many expected a very uphill battle for the [[RINO]] senior senator, although this may not necessarily be the situation. Given that a certain degree of [[Democrat]] crossover appeal still have remained, as well as increasing support from [[conservative]] Republicans for the Kavanaugh confirmation vote and against the [[impeachment coup]], in addition to possibly enough appeal to [[independents]] as a [[moderate]] in comparison to the radical leftist [[Sara Gideon]], [[Susan Collins]] was noted to have a potential to be re-elected despite [[leftist]] opposition.

A poll by Public Policy Polling was released in mid-August 2020 showing Gideon leading Collins by 5% among respondents;<ref>[https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.moveon.org/images/MaineResults1.pdf MaineResults1.pdf]</ref> an analysis by a [[Conservapedia]] editor [[Essay:Analyses_of_misleading_polls#August_19.2C_2020|here]] showed that, had the samples been weighed properly, the poll demonstrates that the election is a tossup and not leaning Democrat.

Due to [[ranked-choice voting]] potentially installed unconstitutionally in the state of [[Maine]] for federal elections in the state in 2020,<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/09/08/maine-will-be-the-first-ever-state-to-use-ranked-choice-voting-for-a-presidential-election/#10c13e057b8d Maine Will Be The First-Ever State To Use Ranked-Choice Voting For A Presidential Election]
*[https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/elections/what-is-and-how-does-maine-ranked-choice-voting-work/97-e7964e06-a087-4b79-97cc-7f053c294248 What is Maine ranked-choice voting and how does ranked-choice voting work?]
*[https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-referendums-elections-maine-courts-b5ddd0854037e9687e952cd79e1526df Ranked choice voting in Maine a go for presidential election]</ref> Collins was inclined to lose her seat; this is due to the fact that those who prefer [[left-wing]] third party candidates are much more likely to rank Gideon higher than Collins. Thus, even if Collins would hold a plurality initially, she could lose after all the votes are re-distributed.

==General election results==
Despite highly inaccurate polling, Collins won re-election in a major upset, defeating Gideon by nine points with 51% of the vote and carrying all but two counties in the state.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/maine/senate/ Maine U.S. Senate results]</ref> [[Liberals]] displayed massive meltdowns on [[Twitter]],<ref>https://twitter.com/search?q=susan%20collins&src=typed_query '''(Warning: Foul language alert)'''</ref> and it was also noted that she beat the bigoted [[Lincoln Project]],<ref>[https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/opinion-columns/debra-saunders/debra-j-saunders-susan-collins-beat-the-lincoln-project-2179239/ DEBRA J. SAUNDERS: Susan Collins beat The Lincoln Project]</ref> which sought her defeat. At a speech during Election Night, Collins said:
{{quotebox|The other side thought that they could come to Maine, and just run negative ads, dump loads and loads, millions and millions of dollars of dollars, and just buy this Senate seat. But is that the Maine way? NO! It certainly is not.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCZYm6ULRLA WATCH: Sen. Susan Collins speaks in Maine on election day]</ref>}}

Collins significantly outperformed Trump in [[Maine]], demonstrating her popularity and familiarity with voters despite being heavily despised by [[far-left]]ists.

Some [[liberals]] who attacked Trump for questioning the validity of the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]] results have baselessly and [[liberal hypocrisy|hypocritically]] questioned the integrity of the Senate general election Collins won.

==See also==
*[[United States Senate special election in Arizona, 2020]]
*[[United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020]]
*[[Debate:Should Susan Collins win re-election in 2020?]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://saragideonfacts.com/ Sara Gideon Facts]

[[Category:Maine]]
[[Category:United States Politics]]
[[Category:United States Senate|*]]
[[Category:2020s]]