Susan Collins Defends Kavanaugh Confirmation as Abortion Ruling Shapes 2026 Maine Senate Race

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told News Center Maine she does not regret voting to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. She said her evaluation of a nominee rests on qualifications, integrity, background and decision-making experience, not on predictions of future rulings. Collins added that she is disappointed Kavanaugh’s 2022 vote helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

Washington ExaminerGOP Sen. Susan Collins Says She Doesn’t Regret Brett Kavanaugh Vote — But Is ‘Disappointed’ He Helped Kill ‘Roe V. Wade’The HillRaw Story

Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 Senate vote, with Collins’ support seen as decisive. In 2022 the Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision reversed Roe v. Wade, returning abortion regulation to the states—a shift Collins described as “turning abortion issues back to the states.”

Washington ExaminerThe HillRaw StoryGOP Sen. Susan Collins Says She Doesn’t Regret Brett Kavanaugh Vote — But Is ‘Disappointed’ He Helped Kill ‘Roe V. Wade’

• Confirmation vote: 50-48.

The Hill

• Maine’s 2023 law expands abortion access at all stages, insulating the state from Dobbs.

Washington Examiner

• Collins is one of two Republican senators who publicly support abortion rights.

Washington Examiner

• Recent polls show Collins and Democrat Graham Platner in a close race, though exact margins are not disclosed.

Washington Examiner

Collins said she evaluated Kavanaugh on his credentials and noted she also backed justices who later upheld Roe, citing Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. She pointed to Maine’s 2023 abortion law as evidence the Dobbs ruling has not harmed her constituents. Democratic challenger Graham Platner has used clips of Collins’s remarks in campaign ads, urging voters to view the Kavanaugh vote as a key issue.

Raw StoryGOP Sen. Susan Collins Says She Doesn’t Regret Brett Kavanaugh Vote — But Is ‘Disappointed’ He Helped Kill ‘Roe V. Wade’Washington ExaminerThe Hill

Abortion-rights groups have condemned Collins for confirming a justice who later helped overturn Roe. Democratic strategists argue the vote may alienate moderate and female voters, a demographic that forms a majority of Maine’s electorate, making the issue a potential vulnerability in her re-election bid.

Washington Examiner

All sources agree Collins does not regret her vote and is disappointed by the Dobbs outcome, but they differ on the granularity of polling data, offering only qualitative “neck-and-neck” descriptions without numeric margins. Details of Platner’s past controversies are mentioned but not specified, leaving a gap in the full campaign picture.

Washington Examiner

• “I do not regret that vote. I do disagree with Justice Kavanaugh’s vote,” — Susan Collins, U.S. Senator (Maine)

The Hill

• “When I look at a justice, I look at their qualifications, their integrity, their background, their experience in reaching a decision.” — Susan Collins

The Hill

• “Obviously I'm disappointed in that decision, which turned abortion issues back to the states.” — Susan Collins

Raw Story

• “You should.” — Graham Platner, Democratic Senate candidate

Washington Examiner

The Maine Senate race will be decided in November 2026. Collins seeks a sixth term, and voter reaction to her distinction between confirming Kavanaugh and opposing his Dobbs decision could determine the outcome and affect the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins Says She Doesn’t Regret Brett Kavanaugh Vote — But Is ‘Disappointed’ He Helped Kill ‘Roe V. Wade’