Republican Senator Susan Collins’ 2018 vote endorsing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh continues to be a central issue for opponents in her reelection campaign.
Collins’ support for Kavanaugh has emerged as a major issue in the first reelection campaign since abortion rights were overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.
The vote has drawn scrutiny, with Democrats noting Kavanaugh joined the Conservative majority to reverse the law.
Collins has doubled down, saying she does not regret the vote and that she would vote for Kavanaugh again.
Her campaign has said that her pro-choice stance on abortion has not wavered over the years, noting Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson opposed abortion as a state lawmaker until about a decade ago.
Collins said before voting to confirm Kavanaugh that she was convinced he would honor “settled law” and leave Roe v. Wade intact, which he ultimately did not.
Some Democrats say Collins’ vote for Kavanaugh alone has shifted views on her in Maine after she handily won reelection in 2020.
Recent polling shows a tight race for the Senate seat, with Jackson leading Collins by three points, which is within the poll’s margin of error.

