Susan Collins just behind Democratic challenger in new poll

Republican Sen. Susan Collins is within striking distance of Democratic challenger Sara Gideon in the hotly contested Maine Senate race, according to a new poll.

The survey from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, conducted between Wednesday and Sunday, found Gideon leading Collins 46.6% to 43.4% among likely voters, with 3.6% undecided. Gideon’s margin over Collins is inside the poll’s margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. If the data in the poll are indicative of a late trend, Collins could be in a position to defeat Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and win a fifth term.