Susan Collins

Susan Collins
Name	Susan Collins
Caption	Official portrait, 2021
State	Maine
Jr/sr	Senior Senator
Alongside	Angus King
Term start	January 3, 1997
Predecessor	William Cohen
Office2	Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
Term start2	February 3, 2021
Predecessor2	Bob Casey Jr.
Office3	Chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee
Term start3	January 3, 2015
Term end3	January 3, 2021
Predecessor3	Tom Carper
Successor3	Gary Peters
Party	Republican
Birth date	7 December 1952
Birth place	Caribou, Maine
Alma mater	St. Lawrence University (BA)
Spouse	Thomas Daffron, 2012

Susan Collins. Susan Margaret Collins is the senior United States Senator from Maine, first elected in 1996. A member of the Republican Party, she is known for her centrist, pragmatic approach and is a key figure in the Senate's moderate wing. Her career has been defined by a willingness to break with her party on significant legislative and judicial matters, making her a pivotal vote in a closely divided Congress.

Early life and education

Born in Caribou, Maine, she is the daughter of Donald Collins, who served as Mayor of Caribou and was a State Senator. Her family owned and operated a fifth-generation lumber business, S.W. Collins Company. She attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, graduating *magna cum laude* in 1975 with a degree in government. During her college years, she interned for then-Congressman William Cohen, an experience that solidified her interest in federal politics.

Early political career

Her early professional career was spent in Washington, D.C., working as a legislative aide for William Cohen, who later became a United States Secretary of Defense. She subsequently served on the professional staff of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. In 1987, she was appointed by Governor John R. McKernan Jr. as the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation for the State of Maine. She later served as the New England regional director for the Small Business Administration under President George H. W. Bush.

U.S. Senate career

Elected to the Senate in 1996, she succeeded her former boss, William Cohen. She has chaired influential committees, including the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from 2015 to 2021, where she oversaw investigations into Russian election interference. She currently chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging. A noted bipartisan dealmaker, she was a founding member of the "Gang of 14" in 2005 to avert the "nuclear option" on judicial filibusters and co-authored the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Political positions and voting record

Her political ideology is often characterized as moderate or centrist. She is pro-choice on abortion, a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights including her vote to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and support for the Respect for Marriage Act, and an advocate for environmental protections. She has broken with her party on high-profile votes, such as opposing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act in 2017 and voting to convict President Trump during his second impeachment trial. However, she has consistently supported conservative judicial nominees, including Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Barrett.

Electoral history

She won her first election in 1996 against former Governor Joseph E. Brennan. She was re-elected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. Her 2020 re-election against State House Speaker Sara Gideon was the most expensive political race in Maine history. Throughout her campaigns, she has emphasized her independence, seniority, and ability to deliver for Maine, such as securing funding for Bath Iron Works and protecting the Acadia National Park budget.

Personal life

She married Thomas Daffron, a longtime political strategist and former chief of staff to William Cohen, in 2012. An avid Boston Red Sox fan, she is known for her annual tradition of running in the Beach to Beacon 10K road race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She maintains residences in Bangor, Maine and Washington, D.C., and is a member of the United Methodist Church.

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:United States senators from Maine Category:American women in politics