Susan M. Collins
U.S. Senator (Republican) from Maine, serving since 1997
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Maine (Republican), in Congress since 1997. Estimated from 9 recorded votes, 11 documented positions and the Moderate Republican lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (+0.124, from 908 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 66 | toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 49 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 34 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 57 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 65 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 74 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 47 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 57 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 51 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 22 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 58 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 45 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 65 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 45 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | documented |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Leaders who win elections should face fewer checks from courts and the civil service. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
Recorded votes used
| Vote | How they voted | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| S. 9 (cloture), Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act Senate roll 100 (2025) | Yea | Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. |
| S. 6 (cloture), Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Senate roll 11 (2025) | Yea | Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Nay | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 4, Rescissions Act Senate roll 411 (2025) | Nay | Wealthy countries should give more aid to poorer countries. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 35 (overturn EPA methane-emissions fee rule) Senate roll 97 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| S.J.Res. 28 (overturn CFPB rule on large payment apps) Senate roll 106 (2025) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 18 (overturn CFPB overdraft-fee rule) Senate roll 153 (2025) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Yea | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Yea | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Yea | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Yea | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
Votes from the official House Clerk and Senate roll-call records.
Checked against their own statements
- S. 9: "This is not a political issue; this is a matter of biology." (2025-03-04) source
Documented positions
- Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.: Supports abortion rights and introduced a bill to codify them with religious-objection protections, but voted against a broader 2022 abortion-rights bill. source
- Courts should be able to temporarily take guns from people judged dangerous, before any crime is committed.: Voted to expand background checks and to support state red-flag laws. source
- Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries.: Opposes parts of the Trump tariffs and sought exemptions for Maine products; voted with Democrats to end tariffs on Canadian goods. source
- Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging.: Voted in March 2026 against limiting the president's war powers on Iran, then voted for the June resolution to end U.S. hostilities. source
- Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending.: Voted for the 2017 tax cuts but against extending them in 2025. source
- Raising the minimum wage significantly would do more harm than good.: Introduced a bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $11 by 2028, indexed to inflation. source
- Workers should have strong legal protections to form and join labor unions.: Voted to restore federal employees' bargaining rights and sponsored a bill to undo Trump's order limiting them. source
- The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost.: Mixed record: sponsored a ban on drilling in the Gulf of Maine but voted against the 2022 clean energy investments. source
- Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples.: Introduced the bill giving federal recognition to same-sex and interracial marriages. source
- Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports.: Voted for a federal ban on transgender athletes in women's sports. source
- Immigrants who have lived in the country for years without legal status should be allowed to stay permanently.: Has co-sponsored a path to citizenship for people brought to the U.S. as children. source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: 0.124 (from 908 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Moderate Republican.
Closest ideologies
Centrism89% similar positionSocial Market Economy89% similar positionNational Liberalism88% similar positionThird Way88% similar positionModerate Conservatism88% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Rishi Sunak94% similar · Historical and internationalFriedrich Merz93% similar · Historical and internationalPierre Poilievre92% similar · Historical and internationalJohn F. Kennedy92% similar · US politiciansBoris Johnson91% similar · Historical and internationalKim Jong UnContrasting: 52% similarPol PotContrasting: 54% similarPeter KropotkinContrasting: 54% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.