Summary
Once seen as one of the most moderate Republicans in the US Senate, Susan Collins is facing what could be her toughest reelection yet. Her reputation as an independent senator willing to break from her party has taken a hit in the Trump era — given her vote for a GOP tax bill and her key confirmation vote for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Still, Collins has proved her staying power in the state for decades and will be tough to beat. She has cruised to reelection in the past, and Republicans will spend heavily to protect her seat. Many Maine voters are fiercely independent — the state elected conservative firebrand Paul LePage twice as governor. Despite Maine going for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Democrats flipping a congressional district in 2018, there are still plenty of red areas in the rural, northern part of the state.
What are the odds? Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball both rate this a toss-up.
Vox by Elle Nielsen on June 11, 2020
OnAir Post: Maine – US Senate 2020 Election
News
The Hill , – November 4, 2020
GOP Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) clinched a fifth Senate term on Wednesday, keeping the hotly contested seat in Republican hands.
Collins’s victory, which comes more than 17 hours after polls in the state closed, makes it increasingly unlikely that Democrats will be able to chart a narrow course back to the Senate majority in 2021.
Democratic nominee Sara Gideon called Collins to concede and The Associated Press called the race shortly before 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins faces challenge of her political career from Sara Gideon – October 8, 2020 (05:53)
One of this November’s closest and highest-profile U.S. Senate races could turn on a unique way of voting in Maine.
There, Republican incumbent Susan Collins is defending her seat against Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon as well as two independents. Polls show a close contest between Collins, who’s seeking her fifth term, and the well-funded Gideon.
And Maine voters will use the ranked-choice voting system, which allows them to rank their choices among the four Senate candidates.
Bangor Daily News , – October 6, 2020
AUGUSTA, Maine — House Speaker Sara Gideon has just a one-point lead on U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in a new Bangor Daily News-Digital Research poll released on Tuesday showing a narrower result than many previous polls as early absentee voting kicks off.
Gideon came in with 44 percent of the vote compared to 43 percent for Collins, the poll found. Unenrolled candidate Lisa Savage, a teacher and former Green party activist from Solon, had 2 percent while Bar Harbor businessman Max Linn had 1 percent. The poll, conducted by the Portland-based Digital Research Insights for the Bangor Daily News, surveyed 466 likely voters between Sept. 25 and Oct. 4. The margin of error is 4.4 percent.
Inside Climate News, – September 21, 2020
Eighteen years ago, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) stood with eight other GOP senators to block President George W. Bush’s plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. To let the oil companies in, Collins said, “would be akin to wasting resources that should rightfully be there for future generations.”
But in 2017, while voicing misgivings, she voted to open the pristine wilderness area to oil exploration as part of President Donald Trump’s big tax cut bill, which she supported.
That vote began the unraveling of the environmental community’s long-standing support for Collins.
Central Maine, – September 21, 2020
For the second time in four days, a new poll of the U.S. Senate race in Maine shows Democratic challenger Sara Gideon with a 5 percentage-point advantage over Republican Susan Collins.
A poll of 500 likely voters released Monday by Suffolk University had 46 percent of respondents favoring Gideon, while 41 percent said they preferred Collins. The poll also showed 5.4 percent of voters were undecided, 3.8 percent said they would vote for Green Independent candidate Lisa Savage and 1.6 percent said they planned to vote for Republican-turned-independent Max Linn.
Guardian, – September 19, 2020
Susan Collins of Maine is among vulnerable Republican senators as polls indicate voters trust Biden more on justice picks.
A 64% majority of voters in Collins’ home state, Maine, believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases – yet Collins has voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, two justices nominated by Donald Trump who could roll back abortion rights.
Collins has explained that based on her private impressions, the justices would not overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision
Business Insider, – September 18, 2020
Sara Gideon, the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is challenging fourth-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine in the most re-election competitive bid of Collins’ career.
The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, rate this race as a tossup while Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics rates it as “leans Democratic.”
According to FiveThirtyEight’s US Senate forecasting model, Gideon has a 53% chance of defeating Collins in November. The final vote tally is expected to be extremely close as each candidate is forecast to receive about 50% of the popular vote.
News Center Maine – September 11, 2020 (57:00)
Bangor Daily News, – September 11, 2020
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and House Speaker Sara Gideon clashed over health care, and President Donald Trump in the first debate of their massive 2020 race on Friday, while independent Lisa Savage looked to establish progressive credentials and fellow longshot Max Linn squabbled with moderators.
The candidates clashed on health care, with Gideon criticizing Collins for her vote for a 2017 Republican tax bill that is the basis of a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act while suggesting a public option and using Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
On the economy, Collins touted her work on the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided roughly 28,000 Maine small businesses with $2.3 billion in forgivable loans earlier in the coronavirus crisis. Gideon called for improved digital infrastructure and job training, and said federal leadership on addressing coronavirus would help the economy recover sooner.
Susan Collins
Current Position: US Senator
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2020 US Senator
Senator Collins ranks twelfth in Senate seniority and is the most senior Republican woman. She chairs the Senate Aging Committee and the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. She also serves on the Intelligence Committee as well as the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Known for her Maine work ethic, Senator Collins has never missed a vote in her 23 years in office. In June 2019, she cast her 7,000th consecutive roll call vote. She holds the longest perfect voting record in the history of the U.S. Senate.
For more information about Susan Collins, see her post.
Sara Gideon
Current Position: State Delegate since 2012
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2020 US Senator
Sara Gideon is a proud mom, wife, sister, daughter and Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
Throughout her time in public service, Sara has prioritized listening to Mainers and then working with others to get things done. And under Governors of both parties, Sara has shown an ability to deliver results while standing up for Democratic values.
Whether as a member of her local town council, as a State Representative and now Speaker of the House, Sara has focused on trying to use her office to improve the lives of Maine families.
For more information about Sara Gideon, see her post.
Issues
Civil Rights
Susan Collins
N/A
Sara Gideon
In the face of partisan attacks on the right to choose and with states across the country passing restrictive abortion bans in an effort to undermine and ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s more important than ever to elect leaders who will always protect a person’s right to make their own health care decisions.
Sara is a strong and vocal advocate for protecting and expanding access to reproductive care. In Maine, Sara led the legislature to pass laws ensuring that every Mainer — no matter their income level or where they live in the state — has affordable access to reproductive care. Decisions about health care should always be made between a woman, her family, and her doctor, and Sara will always fight to protect that right.
In the Senate, Sara will fight back against any attempts to attack or defund Planned Parenthood, and will work to roll back the dangerous Title X gag rule, which has impacted Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood clinics that provide comprehensive health care to Mainers in rural communities and across the state. Sara will also work to put an end to the Senate confirming judicial nominees with dangerous anti-choice records to courts across the country — including to the Supreme Court.
Sara is proud to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL.
Sara believes that all Americans deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. She knows that each person’s identity and lived experience is both valid and valuable, and everybody is deserving of a seat at the table in discussions about our future as a country. Standing with the LGBTQ+ community has always been at the core of Sara’s work in Maine, and she is dedicated to doing everything she can to reach full equality for all.
As Speaker, Sara led the passage of landmark legislation banning conversion therapy in the state, making Maine the 17th state in the country to prohibit this harmful and dangerous practice. Under Sara’s leadership, the State House also banned the so-called “gay and trans panic defense,” which has been used to excuse violent hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community, and passed a law to explicitly define gender identity under the Maine Human Rights Act, which protects Mainers from discrimination. Last year, Sara wrote and passed landmark legislation putting health care protections for transgender individuals into Maine state law.
See post for more info.
Democracy
Susan Collins
N/A
Sara Gideon
Making Washington work for Mainers
Washington is clearly broken – politicians are too responsive to wealthy donors and corporate special interests, promoting their agendas over the people they were elected to represent. Elected officials are failing to make progress on many of the issues that matter most to Maine people, like lowering the cost of prescription drugs, reducing their tax burden or making health care more affordable, all because special interests hold the power.
Sara voted to strengthen Maine’s clean elections system after it was weakened by federal courts. In the past year, she worked in the state legislature to pass automatic voter registration to make it easier for Maine voters to participate in our electoral process and banned state lobbyists from donating to legislative and gubernatorial campaigns in Maine.
Sara is running for Senate to fight for Mainers, not special interests. In the Senate, she’ll work to end the influence of big money on our elections and officials in Washington by:
- Passing a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United;
- Passing the DISCLOSE Act, which would require dark money groups to disclose their donors and crack down on secret spending in our elections, and the Real Time Transparency Act to increase campaign finance transparency;
- Supporting “No Budget, No Pay” legislation so that Congress isn’t compensated if they fail to do the most basic part of their job: passing a budget;
- Banning former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists;
- Refusing any gifts or meals from lobbyists; and
- Refusing any trips paid for by special interests.
Sara has pledged not to accept any money from corporate PACs in her campaign or as a U.S. Senator, so that Maine people will never have any doubt whose interests she’s representing in the Senate.
Economy
Susan Collins
Mainers are resilient. Along with the rest of the country, however, too many Mainers continue to struggle in this tough economy. Senator Collins believes that putting people back to work is the key to improving our economic recovery and should remain our number one goal. With this goal in mind, Senator Collins has offered or supported legislation aimed at providing tax relief, cutting red tape, and investing in a 21st century workforce.
Sara Gideon
Despite Maine’s hard-working people, innovative ideas and wealth of natural resources, household incomes fell more here than any other state last year. Even with full-time jobs, families are struggling to afford the rising costs of housing, education and health care, and Maine’s rural communities have been hit particularly hard.
Across the state, Maine’s small businesses are the engines of our economy, but this year, business owners and workers are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fighting for Maine’s jobs and economy
Politicians in Washington should champion hardworking Mainers, not corporate special interests. Sara believes we can do better for Maine families and small businesses and will fight for Maine’s jobs and economy in communities across the state by:
See post for more info.
Education
Susan Collins
Senator Collins has a strong record of supporting education at all levels, including promoting early childhood education; improving our public school system for kindergarten through 12th grade; and working to increase the affordability of higher education. As a member of the Senate Appropriations and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees, Senator Collins will continue to work to ensure that Congress provides robust funding and targeted legislation for the most effective educational programs aimed at helping teachers and students.
Senator Collins has made engaging with Maine’s students and faculty a top priority, visiting nearly 200 schools during her time as a Senator.
Sara Gideon
A child’s success should not be determined by their zip code, socioeconomic status or race. Sara believes that each child in this country deserves a high-quality education, including early childhood education. Sara has always been deeply committed to bettering our education system – she was initially inspired to run for the Maine State Legislature after volunteering in schools in her community.
She also understands the challenges many face in continuing their education beyond elementary and high school, whether it be at a four-year university, or in a technical or trade program. College, community college, trade and technical programs should be accessible for anyone who wants to pursue the next step in their education, but too often cost prevents today’s students from reaching their full potential and preparing for successful careers.
Sara recognizes that we must address the student debt crisis that forces young people to make impossible financial choices, often before they even complete high school, and leaves them starting their careers with decades worth of debt. Across Maine, countless adults remain saddled with student loan debt, even years or decades after leaving school, dictating the choices they make about their lives every day.
See post for more info.
Environment
Susan Collins
From tourism and recreation, to working forests, and fishing and agricultural industries, there is no doubt that Maine’s economy is inextricably linked to the environment. Maine’s greatest treasure is its natural beauty, and Senator Collins remains committed to advancing reasonable and effective policies in the U.S. Senate to protect the environment.
Throughout her time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Collins has worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, spur the creation of green energy jobs, and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil – while retaining important American manufacturing jobs. High costs of energy are burdensome to Maine families, truck drivers, farmers, fishermen, schools, small businesses, mills, and factories. Nearly 80 percent of the homes in our state rely on heating oil, leaving Maine families extremely vulnerable to high crude oil prices.
Sara Gideon
Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges we face — affecting everything from our public health to our economy. Our natural resources and environment have always been a core part of who we are and how we live in Maine. From our history and heritage to our economy today, stewardship of our woods and waters is deeply important to our livelihoods and our sense of place.
In Maine, Sara has been a champion for the environment and fighting against climate change. She passed the most aggressive goals the state has ever seen for reducing carbon emissions and increasing renewable energy production, making Maine an example for states across the nation, and jumpstarting our clean energy economy and the good-paying jobs it brings. She also passed landmark legislation improving water quality protections for Maine’s tribes.
Taking bold and immediate action on climate change at the federal level is one of Sara’s top priorities. Sara is committed to:
See post for more info.
Health Care
Susan Collins
There is no question that our nation’s health care system requires substantial reform. The status quo of soaring health care costs, struggling families, and health care provider shortages across Maine and the nation is unacceptable. Senator Collins frequently works with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these and other important issues facing our nation such as improved mental health care, drug treatment programs, supporting America’s caregivers, and nutrition programs.
As a native to northern Maine, Senator Collins understands the specific challenges that rural communities face for medical care. Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Collins has consistently supported programs to expand access to and improve the health care system, particularly for citizens living in rural areas.
As a freshman legislator, Senator Collins founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus and has since led the effort to more than triple federal funding for diabetes research.
Sara Gideon
Too many Mainers face impossible choices between affording a trip to the doctor and paying their bills. Sara believes that every single Mainer should have access to affordable and quality health care – it is a basic human right.
Ensuring access to affordable and quality health care for every Mainer
As Maine Speaker of the House, Sara passed bold prescription drug reforms to crack down on big drug companies and their skyrocketing prices and was relentless in her work to expand Medicaid coverage to an estimated 70,000 Mainers.
She also passed a bill to protect Mainers’ health care coverage so that no matter what happens in Washington, 225,000 Mainers with pre-existing conditions can’t be discriminated against, kids can remain on their parents’ insurance until they are 26, and seniors aren’t forced to pay more for coverage.
Health care reforms have helped increase access, but there is far more work to be done to lower costs and to make sure that every single American has access to care.
Sara believes we need to complete the work we started under the Affordable Care Act and in the Senate, she will fight to:
- Expand access to quality and affordable health care to every person including those with pre-existing conditions;
- Allow anyone to choose to buy into Medicare through a newly created public option, while preserving the choice for those who like their private insurance to keep it; and
- Crack down on big drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors, creating a federal drug importation program, and ending pay-for-delay schemes that help keep the cost of prescription drugs high.
Infrastructure
Susan Collins
Senator Collins recognizes the importance of restoring and improving our nation’s crumbling roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. As the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, Senator Collins has the unique ability to help establish our nation’s transportation priorities, while working to help ensure that Maine’s needs are addressed. She has provided strong funding for transportation projects nationwide and represented a thoughtful approach to infrastructure investment. Senator Collins has also long been a leader in efforts to end runaway and youth homelessness.
Sara Gideon
N/A
Safety
Susan Collins
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Collins holds a key position in Congress and has the important responsibility of overseeing and shaping national security issues of importance to both Maine and the United States. Senator Collins has fought for, and secured, provisions in annual defense authorization and funding bills that support work at Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the University of Maine, Saco Defense, Pratt & Whitney, and other companies important to the Maine economy.
Sara Gideon
N/A
Social Security
Susan Collins
As the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Senator Collins’ priorities include retirement security, highlighting the importance of biomedical research on diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and scams targeting seniors.
As the Senate Co-Chair of the Congressional Alzheimer’s Task Force, the Senator is particularly committed to putting an end to Alzheimer’s disease, which has had such a devastating effect on 5.2 million Americans and their families.
Sara Gideon
The oldest state in the nation, Maine is home to seniors and retirees who count on the benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work. Sara believes in keeping the promises we have made to them.
Maine seniors have paid into Social Security and Medicare, using these programs to plan their retirement and future. That’s why Sara will always fight to protect those benefits and fight against irresponsible giveaways to corporations that jeopardize them. In the legislature, she restored a low-cost drug program for nearly 2,000 Maine seniors and championed the release of $15 million in senior affordable housing bonds held up by Governor LePage. She also fought to increase reimbursements for the caregivers who take care of seniors.
Nearly a quarter of Mainers are on Medicare — significantly more than the national average. Sara will fight against any efforts to cut funding or benefits from Medicare, to change Medicare as we know it, or to turn it into a voucher system. She’ll also work to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices to lower costs for seniors and to cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare Part D.
See post for more info.
Veterans
Susan Collins
Today, nearly 22 million Americans hold the distinguished title of Veteran, and more than 127,000 of those individuals live in our great State of Maine. As the daughter of a World War II Purple Heart recipient, Senator Collins learned first-hand of the sacrifice that these heroes and their families make to advance the cause of freedom. Fighting on behalf of our nation’s Veterans, Senator Collins has worked to support the needs of Veterans nationwide by protecting access to rural health care, holding the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable in the wake of scandal, and expediting the process for disabled veterans to get the services they need.
Sara Gideon
More than 20 million veterans across our country have made sacrifices to keep us safe and have fought to protect our values. Sara believes that the best way to honor their service is to work together to preserve everything they risked their lives for, and to make sure that they and their families have access to quality health care and services they’ve earned.
Maine is home to 127,000 veterans. In the State House, Sara worked to identify gaps in services and benefits provided to our state’s veterans so that veterans can access the services they need. She increased homelessness prevention efforts for Maine veterans, passed a law improving mental health care for Maine’s veterans, and created systems in Maine’s universities and community colleges to help students who are veterans.
In the Senate, Sara will make sure that the high-quality services our veterans have earned are available to them. Whether it is G.I. Bill benefits, quality health care at the VA, including access to mental health and women’s health services, or job training and education, Sara believes that we have to fight for those who have risked their lives to protect us.
