DAIRA SMITH-RODRIGUEZ LAUNCHES SENATE CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT SUSAN COLLINS AND REPRESENT MAINE

September 18, 2025

Civilian Air Force Leader will fight to make Maine affordable, protect and expand healthcare access, and use her nearly 15 years of service as a civilian Contracting Officer to be the voice Mainers need to stand against corporate greed. 

Biddeford, Maine –Civilian Air Force Leader and National Guardsman spouse Daira Smith-Rodriguez officially announced her candidacy today for the Democratic nomination to represent Maine in the United States Senate running on one clear message: she’s going to audit the Pentagon and fund the people.

“As the daughter of a Brigadier General whose orders took our family around the world, the call to serve was instilled in me at a young age,” said Daira. “I answered that call as a civilian leader in the U.S. Air Force, where I have spent nearly 15 years saving billions of taxpayer dollars and protecting our service members from corporations trying to take advantage of our country. After seeing the weakness of career politicians like Susan Collins, I’m proud to be answering a new call to service—bringing a fresh voice to Maine families who deserve better than a broken system Collins has enabled for too long.”

As a Contracting Officer, Daira approved and audited countless Air Force projects, saving billions of dollars and defending servicemembers and taxpayers from waste, fraud, and greed. Her leadership and expertise uniquely prepare her to take on entrenched interests in Washington and to deliver for working families across Maine.

Her priorities include tackling Maine’s housing crisis, ensuring healthy food is affordable and accessible, protecting and expanding access to healthcare, and enshrining reproductive freedom into federal law. Daira is committed to utilizing her experience to  be a Senator who cannot be bought by corporate elites and who will fight every day to make government work for ordinary Mainers.

Learn more about Daira’s issue stances at: www.DairaForMaine.com

About the Maine Senate Race:

Maine includes 16 counties, ranging from the working waterfronts of Cumberland and Knox to the mill towns of Penobscot and Aroostook. The electorate is known for its independence, with voters frequently splitting tickets and supporting candidates from both parties.

The Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate will take place in June 2026. Incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, first elected in 1996, has announced her intention to seek reelection.

The Cook Political Report notes that, “Democrats’ best opportunity on paper is in Maine, a blue state that Kamala Harris carried by almost seven points.”