Susan Collins (R-Maine)

Maine Gubernatorial Race

After nearly two decades of low-profile government service, Collins made her big move in 1994, announcing her candidacy for governor of Maine. She emerged as the top Republican in a difficult eight-way primary battle, becoming the first woman ever nominated for governor of Maine by a major party.

Collins’ gubernatorial campaign was a difficult experience. Many of Maine’s leading Republicans gave her the cold shoulder, and her fundraising lagged behind rivals Angus King (I) and Joseph Brennan (D). Collins also took heavy criticism from conservative groups for her views on social issues. The lowest point in the campaign came when Collins’ brother Michael was arrested in connection with a $1 million marijuana distribution operation on the day she planned to hold a press conference on welfare reform. Collins finished third in the general election, netting merely 23 percent of the vote. “I got clobbered,” Collins said of the race.Jansen, Bart, “Collins: Incumbent has learned to fight her way back,” Portland Press Herald, Oct. 20, 2002

U.S. Senate Bid

Collins took some time away from politics after her electoral defeat, founding Husson University’s Center for Family Business in 1994. Collins worked as the center’s executive director until 1996, when her mentor, William Cohen, announced his retirement from the Senate. Cohen encouraged Collins to make a run for the vacated seat, and with his public endorsement she reluctantly jumped back into the fray.

In some ways, Collins’ failed gubernatorial run paved the way for her successful Senate bid; the experience taught her how to campaign confidently, and the enduring name recognition put her on equal footing with opponent Brennan, a two-term Maine governor and former congressman. Collins emphasized her centrist views during the campaign, hammering Brennan’s voting record and dismissing him as a mere “party-line Democrat.”Weinstein, Joshua L., “Susan Collins learning from past campaign,” Portland Press Herald, Oct. 30, 1996   Brennan tried to take the sheen off Collins’ moderate image by attacking her opposition to the federal ban on assault weapons. Despite visits to Maine by President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on Brennan’s behalf, Collins was victorious on Election Day with 49 percent of the vote.

Collins was resoundingly re-elected in 2002, beating Democrat Chellie Pingree (now a Maine House member) with 58 percent of the vote. Her victory over Allen in 2008 was even more decisive, suggesting Collins is a safe bet for re-election in the years to come.

Collins keeps a residence in Bangor, Maine, and says she spends a lot of her free time immersed in gourmet cooking. Shribman, David, “Two for the middle of the road,” Boston Globe, May 27, 2001 She has never married.

Campaign Finance Reform

Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) were seeking a third Republican sponsor for their campaign finance reform bill when Collins arrived in the Senate in 1997. “The first time Russ Feingold and I met, he had all my statements I’d made during the election in favor of campaign finance reform,” Collins said.Winerip, Michael, “A moderate’s moment,” The New York Times, July 20, 1997  Feingold convinced Collins to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill, and she remained a close ally throughout the five-year battle to pass the legislation. By 2002, Collins had helped build a coalition of Republican support that was crucial to the law’s passage.    

Intelligence Reform

Collins’ biggest legislative accomplishment came in 2004, when she negotiated a structural overhaul of the nation’s 15 intelligence gathering agencies following the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. As chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Collins was tasked with implementing some of the recommendations from the Sept. 11 commission report. One of the most contentious recommendations was the creation of a new position, national intelligence director, with broad powers to coordinate spying efforts and shift resources between agencies.

Collins found herself in the center of a classic Washington turf war as the various intelligence agencies jockeyed to maintain their independence and authority. Collins also faced fierce resistance from some of her Congressional colleagues. Then-Sens. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and John Warner (R-Va.) feared the restructuring would limit the Pentagon’s authority, and they accused Collins of muscling through the bill without understanding the issues involved.Jansen, Bart, “With passage, spotlight shines on Collins,” Portland Press Herald, Dec. 9, 2004 With the help of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the veteran lawmakers fought bitterly against the legislation, trying numerous times to derail its progress with hostile floor amendments. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) was impressed with Collins’ ability to beat back the challenges. “I’m absolutely convinced that people thought they could push her around,” he said.Jansen, Bart, “With passage, spotlight shines on Collins,” Portland Press Herald, Dec. 9, 2004

With the help of Lieberman and firm backing from the White House, Collins steered the bill to final approval in late 2004, solidifying her reputation as a fearless negotiator and tireless consensus builder.

The Economy

Collins was one of the three Republican Senators who voted for President Obama's $800 billion stimulus package in February 2009. Along with Sens. Snowe and Arlen Specter, she forced the bill to be downsized before signing off on it.

Collins voted for the $700 billion bank bailout bill in October 2008 and is leading the charge for increased oversight of how the money is spent. “The lack of transparency and accountability [in the program] is just not acceptable,” Collins said.“TARP Strings,” Bangor Daily News, January 2, 2009

Health Care Reform

Snowe oppoes health care reform legislation that contains a strong public option.Stand With Doctor Dean web site