Collins has voted with Trump more than with any other president in her political career, driving her support among Mainers to “all-time low” while McConnell & outside groups scramble to prop up her campaign

Just days after Senator Susan Collins fundraised in Washington with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, she’s getting a boost from the “largest donor, by far” to the Super PAC running ads to prop up her campaign amid record-low support from Mainers.

“New York billionaire” and “major Trump donor” Stephen Schwarzman is hosting a fundraiser this week to benefit Senator Collins’ campaign, an unsurprising windfall for Collins as she continues to reap the rewards of her increasingly out-of-touch record. Senator Collins has voted with President Trump 94% of the time -- more than any other president throughout her entire career -- and has repeatedly sided with him on critical votes like the GOP tax giveaway that’s now threatening Mainers’ health care protections, and to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as well as for more than 100 Trump-nominated judges, including many who have anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ records.

While these harmful votes have made her the second-most unpopular Senator in the country, they’ve “proved lucrative” to Collins, who had her best-ever fundraising quarter after voting for Kavanaugh and is now getting the star treatment from McConnell and a cadre of far-right outside groups -- including the Super PAC backed by the billionaire who is fundraising for her this week.

“Another day, another sign that Mainers can no longer trust Senator Collins to fight for them,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “After fundraising alongside Mitch McConnell yesterday, Senator Collins is now turning to the Trump-backing billionaire who’s funding her super PAC for an extra boost, proving yet again how far she’s drifted from the people she’s supposed to serve and represent.”

Read more about why Senator Collins is leaning on outside groups and wealthy out-of-state allies after losing the support of the people she’s supposed to serve.

  • Washington Examiner: “Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation have emerged as the primary source of outside air cover for Senate Republicans. The super PAC and its affiliated nonprofit are central to McConnell’s strategy to protect his three-seat majority… To compensate against further deterioration, Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation have budgeted approximately $190 million to protect McConnell’s most endangered incumbents: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine; Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado; appointed Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona; Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — and Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and David Perdue of Georgia if they need the help.”

 

  • Wall Street Journal: “Mitch McConnell spares no expense to bolster the candidacy of Maine Sen. Susan Collins”

 

  • HuffPost: Susan Collins Is Fundraising Off Her Brett Kavanaugh Vote: ‘Far Left’ Are Coming After Me. 

 

 

  • WBUR: Controversial Votes Threaten Susan Collins' Centrist Reputation

 

  • HuffPost: Susan Collins Voted To Confirm Kavanaugh A Year Ago. Mainers Haven’t Forgotten.

 

  • Maine Beacon: Labor advocates say Collins’ vote for Scalia shows ‘which side she works for’

 

  • Bangor Daily News: Unions that have backed Susan Collins are undecided for 2020. Brett Kavanaugh is one reason.

 

  • Maine Beacon: Collins attends fundraiser at $4m mansion of nation’s top anti-choice judicial activist

 

  • Daily Kos: Collins feted in big-dollar California fundraiser as ‘hero of the Kavanaugh confirmation.’

 

  • Portland Press-Herald: “only about 5 percent of Collins’ recent haul comes from Maine donors and 95 percent came from out of state”

 

  • Bloomberg: Susan Collins Faces Re-Election as Standing Erodes in Trump Era

 

  • The Hill: Cook Political Report moves Susan Collins Senate race to 'toss up'

 

  • FiveThirtyEight: Mitch McConnell Is The Only Senator More Unpopular Than Susan Collins 

 

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