Two Republican politicians who fought Trump on tariffs lost in the U.S. midterms - National Post

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Copy URL Facebook Linked In X (Twitter) Loading account options Sign In Manage Account Close account menu Sign Out By Stewart Lewis November 4, 2026 at 3:43 p.m. Last Updated: November 4, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. Two Republican politicians that pushed back against the Trump administration on tariffs lost their seats in the U.S. midterm elections yesterday.

Susan Collins represented Maine as its senator for close to 30 years. She was defeated by Democrat Troy Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate, reports the Washington Post.

In Michigan, Mike Rogers entered federal politics as congressman in 2000. He moved to the private sector in 2015, and was running a campaign with the hope of entering the U.S. senate after the midterms. He was defeated by Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed is an epidemiologist and former public health administrator, reports the Sunday Guardian.

Jackson ended Collins’ lengthy span as Maine’s representative in the upper house, contending on the campaign trail that she didn’t effectively stand up to President Donald Trump.

Today, she posted a thank a thank you note to the people of Maine on her campaign website.

“I’m proud of all I have been able to accomplish for our state and for our country in the past 30 years,” Collins wrote on her website. “I called Troy Jackson tonight to congratulate him and to assure him that my staff and I will work to ensure a smooth transition.”

As previously reported by National Post, Collins was notable in lobbying against some of the tariffs applied by the Trump administration on Canadian products that also have an impact on life in Maine. That included tariffs on Canadian road salt and cement, removed on Sept. 15. She said she lobbied U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for the change. That said, those tariffs were replaced by new ones on a wide variety of Canadian exports, such as all-terrain vehicles, certain cheeses, and motorboats.

Back in August, Collins expressed her thanks for the Canadian government decision to remove seafood and fish products from its retaliatory tariff list.

“These tariffs would have caused tremendous harm to Maine’s lobstermen, disrupting one of their most important markets during the fall fishing season,” she said at that time.

Meanwhile, she was a continuous exponent for improved trade relations with Canada, based on the two countries’ historic ties. In an August 27 statement reported by National Post she argued that: “Canada is not China. Canada is one of our closest allies and largest trading partners,” adding that the two countries’ “economies are inextricably linked, especially in the border regions. Continuing with these tariffs will harm Maine families, small businesses, municipalities, manufacturers, and farmers.”

In an interview with Politico in Sept., Collins said the White House didn’t understand the impact of the trade war on Maine. “I think the administration has very much underestimated the impact on Maine families, on small manufacturers, on our agricultural products,” she was quoted by Politico as saying.

However, National Post also reported that pollsters and analysts speculated Collins’ political star could fade due to the trade war.

In July, a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found Democrat Troy Jackson leading Collins 49 per cent to 46 per cent. And a Fox News Poll conducted by Democratic pollster Beacon Research and Republican pollster Shaw & Company Research in early August found Jackson leading 48 to 46 per cent.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan weekly online political newsletter, listed the race as a toss-up, while Inside Elections rates it Tilt Republican and the Cook Political Report rates it Lean Republican.

As for El-Sayed and Rogers, the two were regularly at loggerheads. El-Sayed went after Rogers, saying he defended the Trump administration’s tariff policies, including the trade war with Canada, reports USA Today.

As previously reported by National Post, Rogers did break ranks with the Trump administration in early October. In a campaign ad, shared on social media, he said: “Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war now. As Michigan senator, I’ll bring both parties together to lower your prices.”

Prices are too high and Canada is not our enemy. We need to end the tariff war — now. In the Senate, I’ll bring both parties together to lower costs and put Michigan families first. pic.twitter.com/D5DLkBBdpn

Back in August, he said in a campaign press release that the tariffs might be “necessary, but are not a one-size-fits-all solution.”

However, later in October, Rogers campaigned with Trump in Port Huron, Michigan and accused Canada of sending “truck after truck after truck loaded with their trash into our state.” Canadian garbage imports had been an issue for Rogers for decades. And Canada has been the largest source of waste imports to Michigan, accounting for 14 per cent of all waste disposed of in Michigan landfills in fiscal year 2025.

When the Trump administration lifted tariffs on some Canadian goods that benefitted Maine, it imposed a new tariff on Canadian waste exports.

I called for an end to the tariff war with Canada, and told the Trump Administration if you’re going to be putting tariffs on anything from Canada, it ought to be the damn trash they’ve been dumping in our state for decades. And today, they acted. This is a HUGE win for… pic.twitter.com/Hc4Nph0Gs6

In a social media post on Oct. 23, Rogers took credit for this new tariff.

He said: “I called for an end to the tariff war with Canada, and told the Trump Administration if you’re going to be putting tariffs on anything from Canada, it ought to be the damn trash they’ve been dumping in our state for decades. And today, they acted. This is a HUGE win for Michigan, and is the first of many wins to come once I get to the US Senate.”

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