Susan Collins Says She Has Long Had a Benign Tremor

Ms. Collins is expected to face off against Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Democratic oysterman and political newcomer, in a general election that could decide control of the Senate.

Debates over age and fitness have taken on new potency in American politics after former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was pressured into abandoning his re-election bid over concerns about his ability to serve into his 80s. President Trump, for his part, turns 80 next month and has also shown signs of aging, and in both parties there has been evidence of frustration with the gerontocracy.

While the Democratic primary race has not yet been held officially, Mr. Platner effectively pushed his chief rival, Gov. Janet Mills, 78, out of the race. He rode a wave of anti-establishment fervor and demands for a new generation of leadership into a dominant position in the primary contest.

Tensions over age, experience and character will be major themes of the general election, playing out in a political environment that has deteriorated for Republicans.

Ms. Collins has held the Senate seat for three decades and has survived difficult Democratic challenges before, but Mr. Trump lost the state by about seven percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/us/politics/susan-collins-tremor-maine-senate-race.html