Maine Sen. Susan Collins announced Friday that she will not run for the governor’s seat in 2018.

“I am a congenital optimist, and I continue to believe that Congress can — and will — be more productive. I want to continue to play a key role in advancing policies that strengthen our economy, help our hard-working families, improve our health care system, and bring peace and stability to a violent and troubled world,” Ms. Collins, a Republican, said in a statement.

She said she believes she can do more for the people in her state while in the Senate and that her powerful position on the Senate Appropriations Committee allows her to “secure funding for important programs” in Maine.

Ms. Collins had been debating running for the open seat in her state for some time. She is not up for re-election in the Senate until 2020. Current Gov. Paul LePage, also a Republican, is term-limited.

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