Susan Collins Defends Kavanaugh Confirmation Vote While Criticizing Roe v. Wade Overturn

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told News Center Maine she “does not regret” her 2018 vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh, but she is “disappointed” that he joined the conservative majority in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade. Collins distinguishes a justice’s qualifications from their rulings, emphasizing that her support for Kavanaugh was based on his credentials, not his later decisions.

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

Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 Senate vote after a contentious hearing. Four years later, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision nullified the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade, returning regulatory authority to the states. Maine insulated itself from the ruling by enacting a law in 2023 that expands abortion access.

The Hill

Collins reiterated that she evaluates nominees on “qualifications, integrity, background, and experience” and that she “disagrees with Justice Kavanaugh’s vote” on Roe. She highlighted her record of supporting justices who later defended abortion rights, noting that her vote did not affect Maine because the state’s own law protects access. Collins also acknowledged that the issue may influence her upcoming reelection campaign.

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

Democratic analysts contend that Collins’s Kavanaugh vote could jeopardize her seat in the 2024 midterms. Opponent Graham Platner frames the vote as evidence that Collins backed a court that “killed” Roe, while also confronting personal controversies such as past sexting allegations and a reported Nazi tattoo. A Wick/2Way poll shows Platner leading Collins 48% to 45%, underscoring the race’s competitiveness.

Mediaite

All sources agree on Collins’s statements and poll numbers, but independent statewide polling on Maine voters’ attitudes toward the Dobbs decision is not provided. Additionally, the impact of the 2023 state abortion law on voter sentiment remains unquantified.

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

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

The Hill

• “When I look at a justice, I look at their qualifications, their integrity, their background, their experience in reaching a decision. Obviously, I’m disappointed in that decision, which turned abortion issues back to the states,” — Susan Collins

The Hill

• “I would point out that in that decision several Supreme Court justices whom I supported voted the other way. That includes Justice Sotomayor, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Jackson, so I have supported a great number of Supreme Court Justices,” — Susan Collins

The Hill

• “It has not had an impact on the state of Maine.” — Susan Collins

Mediaite

Collins faces a tightly contested election in November 2024. Voters will weigh her longstanding record, her distinction between confirming a justice and disagreeing with that justice’s later rulings, and the broader national debate over abortion rights as the campaign intensifies.

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