Susan Collins Is Sole New England Republican in Congress After Midterms

The New England states are bluer than ever after the 2018 midterm elections.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins – who was not up for re-election this year – is left as the only Republican in Congress from the New England states.

Collins and her staff were bullied and threatened by Democrat activists after she voted to approve Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the last race to be decided, Democrat state lawmaker Jared Golden was declared the winner in Maine’s Second District race against the only Republican from New England left in the U.S. House – Bruce Poliquin.

Democrats won big victories at all levels of state government in the region as well.

Connecticut GOP candidate Bob Stefanowski lost his gubernatorial race against Democrat Ned Lamont, 49 to 46 percent. Additionally, while an even number of Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate kept the GOP hopeful that they could win the majority in that body this year, ultimately, Democrats won healthy majorities in both the state House and Senate.

The three New England states that have Republican governors will also be dealing with stronger Democrat majorities in their state legislatures.

In Massachusetts, Democrats added to their supermajority in the state legislature, even as liberal Republican Gov. Charlie Baker handily won re-election after having been voted the country’s most popular governor.

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu prevailed in his re-election bid, but Democrats won control of the state legislature and the Executive Council.

Similarly, Vermont GOP Gov. Phil Scott also was re-elected but will face a state legislature with enough power to override his vetoes.

Republicans lost the governor’s office in Maine as Democrat Janet Mills won her bid and will be helped by the stronger gains Democrats made in that state’s legislature.

In Rhode Island, Democrat Gov. Gina Raimondo won her re-election bid as Democrats in the Ocean State’s general assembly also made gains.

Democrats attribute the GOP losses in New England to President Donald Trump.

According to the CTMirror, however, Wayne Lesperance, a political science professor at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, said the GOP’s losses in the region have more to do with New England Republicans’ refusal to adopt the national party’s platforms on issues such as the right to life, traditional marriage, and identification based on biological sex vs. gender ideology.

Lesperance said GOP losses in the region “were a continuation of a trend that began way before Donald Trump, but his presidency has increased the disconnect between New England Republicans and the broader national Republican Party.”