Susan M. Collins

Biography

Overview

Susan M. Collins is the senior United States senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected in 1996, she is Maine's longest-serving member of Congress and the longest-serving Republican woman senator. Since 2025, Collins has served as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Born in Caribou, Maine, she is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and began her career as a staff assistant for Senator William Cohen in 1975. She was the first female major-party nominee for Maine governor in 1994, finishing third with 23% of the vote. Collins is generally regarded as a moderate Republican and often serves as a pivotal vote in the Senate.

Career

Collins authored or co-sponsored major legislation including the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004), which created the Director of National Intelligence position. She played a key role in the 2005 judicial filibuster compromise, allowing some Bush judicial nominees to receive votes. She championed opioid crisis legislation, including provisions in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (2016) on pain management research and infant safe care plans. Collins authored the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act (2018) and the Reviving America's Scenic Byways Act (2019). She was the sole Republican to vote against Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation and one of seven Republicans to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. On Supreme Court confirmations, she voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of only three GOP senators to do so.

Prior political experience

Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996, defeating Democrat Joseph Brennan 49% to 44%. She was reelected in 2002 over Chellie Pingree (58.4% to 41.6%), in 2008 over Tom Allen (61.5% to 38.5%), and in 2014 over Shenna Bellows (68.5% to 31.5%). In all three reelections, she carried every county in Maine. In 2020, Collins faced Democrat Sara Gideon in a closely watched race that became the most expensive in Maine history. Despite trailing Gideon in public polling, Collins won decisively. During her first campaign in 1996, she pledged to serve only two terms, a promise she did not ultimately keep.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal

Conservative

119th Congress+0.124

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1

+1

-0.505

Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 676 scored votes

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Officeholding history

Term	Seat	Term dates	Termination	Predecessor	Successor
5th	U.S. Senate ME Class 2	2021–present	In progress	Susan M. Collins	—
4th	U.S. Senate ME Class 2	2015–2021	Term ended	Susan M. Collins	Susan M. Collins
3rd	U.S. Senate ME Class 2	2009–2015	Term ended	Susan M. Collins	Susan M. Collins
2nd	U.S. Senate ME Class 2	2003–2009	Term ended	Susan M. Collins	Susan M. Collins
1st	U.S. Senate ME Class 2	1997–2003	Term ended	—	Susan M. Collins

Committee assignments

Senate Committee on Appropriations
SenateChairman· 2021–present
Department of Defense
Senate· 2021–present
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate· 2021–present
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Financial Services and General Government
Senate· 2021–present
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Senate· 2021–present
Primary Health and Retirement Security
Senate· 2021–present
Legislative Branch
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Department of Homeland Security
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present
Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present
Energy and Water Development
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
SenateEx Officio· 2021–present

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term8

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

Year	Seat	Result	Vote share	Field
—	—	Pending	—	—