Susan Collins on 2026 Midterm Elections

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator and Republican Senate candidate

Response to this claim

Allowing the bill onto the floor let Collins pursue the rural-health fund, while her final no vote opposed its Medicaid cuts.

“But if I had not allowed the bill to go to the floor, I would not have been able to offer the $50 billion fund to help rural health care”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection, in a CNN interview

Response to this claim

Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.

“I make the decisions based on the qualifications of the individual. And that is what I did with Brett Kavanaugh.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Maine

Statement summary

Collins explained her vote against the March 4 Iran War Powers Resolution, arguing Iran poses serious and longstanding threats and that passing the resolution at that point would send the wrong message, while affirming that sustained combat operations require full engagement with Congress.

“Passing this resolution now would send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops. At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the Administration with Congress.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator, in her October 5, 2018 floor speech

Statement summary

Collins argues that Kavanaugh's approach to precedent would protect established rulings from being eroded indirectly.

“his views on honoring precedent would preclude attempts to do by stealth that which one has committed not to do overtly.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection

Statement summary

Asked about the Senate ethics complaint, Collins says the allegations are completely false and were rejected by the Justice Department, the FBI and the Federal Election Commission. She says a photo shows Kao met her months before he made any contribution and that he revived the story hoping for leniency.

“The allegations are completely false ... We have a picture of his meeting with me and with other people in my office that is many months before he ever made a single contribution ... He spun this story up again in the hopes that the judge would be lenient, or the prosecutor would be.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: Republican U.S. senator from Maine, through campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen

Statement summary

Asked by the Portland Press Herald whether Susan Collins called Navatek CEO Martin Kao to thank him for a 2019 super PAC donation, her campaign spokesperson said there is no record of the call and that neither Collins nor anyone who worked for her believes she made it.

“Neither Susan Collins nor anyone who worked for her believes that she made a call”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. Senator for Maine, the senator whose conduct is at issue

Statement summary

Collins personally denies the pay-to-play allegations, citing a 2021 Biden Justice Department finding of no wrongdoing by her, her office, or her campaign, and calls the ProPublica report a political hit job driven by Democratic tactics; she also calls Kao a liar with multiple federal convictions.

“In 2021, the Biden Justice Department found there was no wrongdoing by anyone on my campaign staff, my office or me. This is absolutely outrageous. It's clearly a political hit job.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine

Statement summary

Susan Collins, asked about Graham Platner's accusation that she lied to Mainers about protecting abortion rights because of her Kavanaugh vote, said it was obviously not true and that the people of Maine know her well.

“Well, that's obviously not true. The people of Maine know me well and I know them well.”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection, in a Fox News interview

Response to this claim

Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.

“Whether Justice Kavanaugh were confirmed or not, Roe v. Wade would have been overturned, given the 6-3 vote”

Susan Collins

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Maine

Statement summary

Citing the War Powers Act's 60-day deadline, Collins voted to direct the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, saying she would end continued hostilities 'until such a case is made' for a clear mission and end strategy, while praising the military's performance in 'diminishing the threat that Iran poses.'

“Further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close. I voted to end the continuation of these military hostilities at this time until such a case is made.”