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When Republican Sen. Susan Collins had to vote on a Supreme Court justice in 2018, she deliberated under the spotlight for weeks, building suspense that ended with a dramatic floor speech. When she announced her support for President Donald Trump鈥檚 nominee, she triggered an onslaught of Democratic anger.

On Monday, Ms. Collins cast her vote against Mr. Trump鈥檚 pick without any speech and quickly headed home to Maine to try to save her political career.

Ms. Collins鈥� contrasting moves on the Supreme Court nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett underscore the difficulty for a senator trying to find middle ground in an election in which the battle lines appear starker than ever. Her vote in favor of Justice Kavanaugh rallied Democrats against her and angered some moderate supporters, while her vote against Justice Barrett may not do much to win them back.

Throughout the campaign, the four-term senator has had to fight off accusations that her years in Washington have changed her and that she puts Mr. Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the GOP over the interests of regular Mainers.

鈥淚 was taught to give back to my community, to serve others, and to act with integrity. That鈥檚 what I鈥檝e always done,鈥� Ms. Collins told The Associated Press. 鈥淚 certainly have not changed.鈥�

But Maine and American politics are changing.

The state known for its fierce independent spirit as much as its lighthouses and lobsters is becoming less so, and Democrats, not independents, now comprise the biggest voting bloc.

Throw in a well-funded opponent, along with a polarizing president, and the last Republican member of Congress from New England finds herself battling for her political survival.

Ms. Collins鈥� Democratic rival, Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, called the senator鈥檚 vote against Justice Barrett 鈥渘othing more than a political calculation.鈥�

Ms. Collins鈥� spokesperson fired back by accusing Ms. Gideon of making 鈥渁 craven political calculation seven months ago when she shut down the Legislature to focus on her campaign.鈥�

Polls show an extremely close race despite more than $120 million allocated for ads by the candidates and their allies. And the money is still pouring into the race, one of a handful that could decide which party controls the Senate.

Losing the fundraising battle, Ms. Collins is focusing on her message that she鈥檚 an experienced, bipartisan senator who鈥檚 in line to become chair of the appropriations committee, which directs all federal spending. That would be in stark contrast, she said, to a 鈥渞ookie鈥� senator.

Ms. Gideon is using the latest battle over a Supreme Court nominee to remind voters that Ms. Collins backed most of Mr. Trump鈥檚 judicial nominees, resulting in a rightward shift in the judiciary. She鈥檚 also attacking Ms. Collins鈥� vote for Mr. Trump鈥檚 tax cuts that she says favored the rich over working-class Mainers.

Ms. Gideon said for all of Ms. Collins鈥� talk about seniority, she doesn鈥檛 have much influence in her caucus, as demonstrated in her inability to stop the vote on Justice Barrett. Ms. Collins, who has never missed a vote, said she voted against Justice Barrett out of fairness to Democrats, who were denied an election-year vote on then-President Barack Obama鈥檚 nominee in 2016.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 seem like her seniority has much influence in her caucus, or that ability to bring things home for Mainers,鈥� Ms. Gideon said.

Ms. Collins easily won her last election, and it was just a couple of years ago that the senator was cheered when Cyndi Lauper welcomed her onstage during a concert on the Bangor riverfront, a year before the Kavanaugh vote galvanized Democrats.

鈥淭his woman is a hero. And she鈥檚 my hero. And she鈥檚 a Republican,鈥� Ms. Lauper told the crowd as she walked Ms. Collins to the center of the stage. Ms. Lauper praised her for her work with LGBTQ homeless youth.

But things have changed since then. The Human Rights Campaign, which had endorsed Ms. Collins in three previous elections, now endorses Ms. Gideon. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which was neutral in Ms. Collins鈥� 2014 race, is backing Ms. Gideon.

Ms. Collins insists she鈥檚 the same centrist who鈥檚 willing to work with members of either party. She also points to the millions she鈥檚 brought home for Maine, including Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and her Paycheck Protection Program that helped more than 250,000 Mainers during the coronavirus pandemic.

鈥淪usan Collins is exactly the same person she was when she was first elected. Certainly, the national discourse has changed tremendously,鈥� said Kevin Raye, former chief of staff for retired Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

On the campaign trail, Ms. Gideon is known for her socially distanced 鈥淪upper with Sara鈥� events held under a tent.

Ms. Collins, meanwhile, has been on a bus tour across the state.

Jeff Corey, president of Days Jewelers, met Ms. Collins during a visit to Waterville and said Ms. Collins鈥� experience, pragmatism, and bipartisanship make her the best candidate to serve the interests of Mainers.

鈥淟ook, the American people right now are looking for collaboration with our leaders, finding common ground, and getting things done,鈥� he said, noting that the Lugar Center at Georgetown University has ranked Ms. Collins as the most bipartisan senator.

Among Democrats, Ms. Collins doesn鈥檛 get much credit for standing up to Mr. Trump, even though she has been critical of his handling of the pandemic, his attempt to strike down the Affordable Care Act, the diversion of funding toward the border wall, and the removal of protesters from Lafayette Square for a photo op.

Critics say she hasn鈥檛 been forceful enough in her denunciations of Mr. Trump. Ms. Collins has declined to say whom she鈥檒l vote for on Election Day. She wrote in a candidate in 2016 rather than vote for Mr. Trump.

James Bennett, a former Republican who鈥檚 supporting Ms. Gideon, said it鈥檚 time for a change. 鈥淚鈥檇 thought of her as being an independent thinker until the last four years. She鈥檚 not thinking for herself. She鈥檚 just following the party line,鈥� said Mr. Bennett, a retired defense contractor from Camden.

The race will be decided by ranked choice voting, providing a new layer of uncertainty. Under the election system, voters will get to rank all four candidates 鈥� including two independents, progressive Lisa Savage and conservative Max Linn 鈥� in order of preference. If no one wins a majority of first-place votes, then the last-place candidates are eliminated and those voters鈥� second choices are reallocated until a majority winner emerges.

Ms. Collins is trying to avoid the same fate as her mentor, the late Sen. Margaret Chase Smith. Ms. Smith was the first woman to serve in both chambers of Congress, and she made a name for herself with her 鈥淒eclaration of Conscience鈥� speech decrying McCarthyism in 1950.

Ms. Smith was a formidable politician, but she was ousted from the Senate in 1972 amid accusations that she was out of touch.

Unlike Ms. Smith, Ms. Collins has raised money, kept a strong organization in the state, and campaigned hard.

But the patch of middle ground occupied by moderates has become smaller and smaller, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California.

鈥淪he sticks to the middle of the road. Unfortunately, the middle of the road is filled with roadkill,鈥� he said.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽