The 2014 Maine Senate race saw a rare sweep across every single county
In short: In a political landscape often defined by deep divides, the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Maine produced a striking outlier. Incumbent Republican Susan Collins secured a decisive victory, capturing every one of the state's sixteen counties—a feat that remains the last time any party achieved such a comprehensive statewide sweep.
The 2014 election cycle in Maine featured incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, who had held her seat since 1997, facing off against Democratic challenger Shenna Bellows. Bellows, who previously led the Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, faced a formidable opponent. Collins ultimately won a fourth term with 68.5% of the vote, defeating Bellows by a margin of 223,251 votes. This victory was particularly notable because Maine had supported Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, making it the only state that year to elect a Republican to the Senate despite its recent Democratic leanings in national contests.
The electoral map was remarkably uniform for Collins. She carried both of Maine's congressional districts and every one of the state's 16 counties. Bellows found success only in a few specific locations, including the cities of Portland, Bar Harbor, and Hallowell, alongside a scattering of small, rural communities in the northern and western parts of the state. As of 2026, this result stands as the most recent instance of a Republican winning the counties of Cumberland and Knox in a statewide race.
The Republican primary process also saw internal friction. Conservative activist Erick Bennett attempted to run as an independent after leaving the party, but he failed to meet the legal requirements. Maine law mandates that independent candidates must not be affiliated with any political party after March 1 of the election year. Because Bennett did not unenroll until after the March 17 filing deadline, he was ineligible to run as an independent. His campaign had previously drawn sharp criticism from Maine Republican Party Chairman Rick Bennett due to his controversial public statements and a 2003 assault conviction.
Collins' campaign strategy included securing a joint endorsement from Bath Iron Works' labor unions, which was reported as the first time those unions had issued a joint endorsement or backed a Republican for federal office. The election remains a significant moment in Maine's political history, marking a rare instance of total geographic dominance in a modern statewide contest.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2014 United States Senate election in Maine
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