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Maine voters say the political control of Congress is a top issue as they decide who to vote for this November, according to a new poll from The New York Times, Portland Press Herald and Siena. 

It is not clear from the survey, which asked more than 600 likely Maine voters about their motivations, who will most benefit: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner or incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

But voters are saying that party control of Congress matters just as much to them, if not more, than other issues such as the “character” of each candidate. And that hints at how Platner’s string of controversies may matter less than national political stakes.

Platner, a 41-year-old Sullivan oysterman and military veteran, and Collins, a 73-year-old Caribou native seeking a sixth term, are running nearly neck and neck in the New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll released Monday that asked likely Maine voters a host of questions about this year’s high-profile Senate race and other matters. The poll had a margin of error of ±4.8%.

A question on which issue is “most important in deciding your vote for U.S. Congress in November” saw the economy lead the way followed by “control of Congress.”

Those issues were followed by a candidate’s “character/competence” and immigration.

While difficult to draw many deeper conclusions about whether it is a better sign for Platner or Collins that voters are motivated by congressional control, a separate question asked about their preference for the outcome of this year’s U.S. Senate elections specifically. About 54% of respondents said they want Democrats to control the chamber, while 42% indicated they prefer Republicans to stay in power. 

That is not a huge surprise in a survey of Maine voters, given the state’s blueward trend. Still, Collins defied polls in 2020 that showed her losing to Democrat Sara Gideon.

Respondents had various reasons for thinking about party control of Congress or about broader themes ahead of November.

Jacob Stern, a 36-year-old Pownal resident, said in an interview he is focused on electing candidates who are “leading with compassion and care and science, rather than division and sound bites and hatred.” That informs his preference for who controls Congress. 

While Stern said he still has some questions about Platner, he said he is going to vote for him and feels he is reflective of a nation “that can grow and change.”

Stern, who recently graduated law school, said he has respect for Collins but is “just disappointed in her support for more radical policies” that “don’t reflect the will of Maine people” and in her 2018 vote to nominate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Melanie Crane, a Republican voter from the York County town of Parsonsfield, said she supports Collins over Platner because her chief concern is with “Democrats controlling anything” while the country is “slipping into communism and socialism.” She said the Iran war is a “little blip” but that the economy is “doing OK right now.”

“I wouldn’t want to see them run a gas station,” Crane, a 72-year-old retiree, said of Democrats.

Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, and both parties view the Maine race as pivotal. Collins is the only Republican senator up for reelection in a state that former Vice President Kamala Harris carried in 2024. In the new poll, 51% of respondents said they voted for Harris in 2024, and 40% said they voted for Trump.

Republican-aligned groups have already spent heavily on ads this cycle that bash Platner for his past behavior. They seek to cast him as a “disgusting” and untrustworthy person while praising Collins as a reliable senator and Senate Appropriations Committee chair who has brought millions of dollars to the state. 

Platner and Democratic groups have cast Collins as a “corrupt” politician who, despite her efforts to frame herself as a moderate, votes with Trump most of the time and is part of the status quo that voters in several states have shown a desire to upend this year.

The survey also indicated that where each candidate stands on the issues matters far more to both Platner and Collins voters than their personal traits. 

Among respondents who identified as Platner supporters, 93% said their vote for him is more about “where he stands on the issues,” while just 4% said it is more about “who he is as a person.” Among Collins supporters, 70% said their vote for her is more about the issues, while 23% chose character.

The New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll of Maine voters was funded with support from the Maine Trust for Local News.