Associated Press: “Money is pouring into Maine’s high-profile Senate race, threatening to upend the state’s reputation for genteel politics and giving way to a new era of partisanship.”

“Advertising data shows Democrats plan to spend at least $1.2 million on ads through December, including a spot that aired for the first time this month that accuses Collins of failing to protect Medicare. A newly formed GOP group, meanwhile, has $800,000 already in the bank, thanks to a small group of wealthy financiers.”

Cook Political Report: “There hasn’t been any reliable polling to date, but it’s a good bet that Collins is ahead, but that Gideon, assuming she in the Democratic standard bearer, has lots of room to grow. This could well end up being one of the closest Senate contests of the cycle and is in the Toss Up column.”

“In the unlikely event that Collins doesn’t run, Republicans’ chances of holding the seat decrease enormously.”

“Maine will see unprecedented amounts of political ad spending in the 2020 presidential cycle, with a nationally targeted U.S. Senate race drawing more than twice what has ever been spent on a single campaign here,” the Bangor Daily News reports.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) “isn’t used to seeing her popularity under water in her home state, but that’s where the Maine Republican finds herself as she decides whether to run for a fifth term next year,” Bloomberg reports.

“Collins says she’s focused on preparing for a re-election bid but won’t decide until the early fall whether she’ll run.”

Said Collins: “The divisiveness of our country and the unceasing attacks by dark money groups in Maine have clearly had an impact.”

Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (D) announced she will challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in 2020, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Gideon said she will run against Collins “because Mainers deserve a senator who will always put our state first.”

Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (D) is expected to formally announce in the coming weeks that she’s running for Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-ME) seat in 2020, five Democratic sources confirmed to HuffPost.

A new Critical Insights poll in Maine finds Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-ME) approval rate at just 41%, down from 58% last spring and 51% last fall.

Just 34% of Maine voters approve of President Trump, down from 41% last fall.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for reelection on Thursday, “in a rare rebuff of partisan politics in an increasingly polarized Senate,” Politico reports.

“The moderate West Virginia senator also offered to campaign for the vulnerable Maine incumbent. It’s a boon for Collins, who Democrats likely need to beat if they hope to take the Senate majority in 2020.”

“Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), one of the most vulnerable Republican senators in 2020, raised more than $1.1 million in itemized contributions during the first three months of the year. But less than 1 percent of that money came from her home state,” Roll Call reports.

Just 13 Maine residents gave Collins more than $200 in contributions.

Derek Levasseur, a conservative blogger, has announced that he’ll run a Republican primary against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) “as she approaches a 2020 re-election race promising to be one of the more competitive ones in a year with a difficult map for Democrats,” the Bangor Daily News reports.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) “had the best fundraising quarter of her life in 2018, boosted in part by her decision to support Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court,” the HuffPost reports.

“Collins raised $1.8 million in the last quarter of the year, but just $19,000 of that money came in itemized donations ― contributions of $200 or more ― from residents of Maine.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R) said “she is preparing to launch her reelection campaign for 2020 but hasn’t yet made a final decision,” Politico reports.

Said Collins: “I am getting prepared, and I’ll make a final decision toward the end of this year.”

CrowdPAC has raised $3.6 million and ActBlue has raised $480,000 for the future Democratic opponent to Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in 2020.

To put this in perspective, Collins raised $6 million for her entire campaign in 2014. In 2008, the last time she had a serious challenge, she raised $8 million.