State Rep. Laurel Libby, an Auburn Republican who has risen to prominence for her fundraising prowess and forceful criticism of transgender girls competing in sports, announced Monday that she will not seek reelection or run for higher office next year.

Instead, Libby will launch a network of organizations focused on educating and mobilizing conservatives ahead of the 2026 elections, including helping reelect U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

In an interview Monday, Libby said she ruled out running for governor or any other higher office, citing her family, and believes she can make a greater impact next year and beyond by building a conservative advocacy network.

“The stakes are tremendously high at the state level and the federal level,” she said. “I think we’re seeing Mainers being incredibly weary from the level of frankly tyranny from our state government.

“We need change and we need it desperately here in Maine. I think Mainers are ready for that change and we need a long-term plan to reverse course here in Maine.”

In addition to localized efforts, Libby also announced the launch of the “Lead Maine Committee,” a federal Super-PAC created in partnership with Sentinel Action Fund to support Collins’ reelection campaign in 2026 and Republicans in future elections.

The Sentinel Action Fund announced on Monday that it’s planning to spend at least $4 million through its partnership with the Lead Maine Committee to help turnout conservative voters.

Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson said in a written statement that the partnership with Libby comes “ahead of a pivotal midterm election cycle.”

“Maine’s Senate seat will play a critical role in securing and expanding the Republican Senate majority and protecting it is an essential step toward achieving a 60-seat majority,” Anderson said. “Senator Susan Collins is a proven leader and a steadfast champion of the freedoms and policies that matter most to Mainers, especially as those values face growing threats from the far Left.”

The Sentinel Action Fund had raised just over $2 million through June 30, with large donations from the Lexington Fund, a dark money group tied to Leonard Leo, a conservative activist who owns a home on Mount Desert Island and has supported Libby’s state-level PACs.

In the 2024 cycle, the group raised about $37 million, including more than $2.3 million from Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla entrepreneur who spent more than $290 million to help get Trump elected, and $1 million from Tom Klingenstein, a conservative mega donor who spent nearly $2.9 million in a failed effort to beat Gov. Janet Mills in 2022 that included anti-transgender ads.

In addition to the federal super PAC, Libby plans to create a federal dark money group, Lead Maine, which will be a 501c(4) and won’t need to disclose its donors, and a state level political action committee, Lead Maine Action, to focus on state level races.

Libby has proven to be a prolific fundraiser, including for conservative PACs such as Fight for Freedom and Dinner Table Action. She had already raised $137,000 for next year’s reelection campaign.

Libby also helped lead the unsuccessful referendum campaign to institute Voter ID and additional restrictions on absentee voting.

Earlier this year, she drew nationwide attention after she made a post on social media featuring photos of a high school athlete who won a girls track competition and who had competed in boys track the previous year. Her post included a photo of the student and first names in quotation marks, as well as the school’s name.

The Maine House censured Libby, but the U.S. Supreme Court restored her right to vote after she filed a lawsuit.

She said Lead Maine is planning a full launch in January. Until then, she declined to provide details about what other groups or individuals would join the network, or who the major funders would be. She did say she is no longer associated with Dinner Table Action.

While the $4 million from Sentinel Action is earmarked for Collins, Libby said she expects to raise additional funds for other state races.

“Lead Maine and its affiliated organizations are committed to building exactly that by educating and mobilizing citizens to drive meaningful societal and electoral change at both the state and national levels,” she said in a written statement.

Staff writer Gillian Graham contributed to this story