Opinion | Why 2026 was the end of the road for Susan CollinsAmy Fried's opinion column for MS NOW argues that Sen. Susan Collins' seven-point loss to Troy Jackson, ending her 30-year Senate career, came from a blue wave and the breakdown of her brand, with Jackson's transformational message on affordability outshining her focus on town projects. Fried draws a parallel to Margaret Chase Smith, Collins' mentor, who lost in 1972 after seeming out of touch on the Vietnam War.