Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh takes on a starring role in Maine’s Senate race
Democrats in Maine are putting Brett Kavanaugh and abortion back at the center of the Senate race against Susan Collins.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Susan Collins’ 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh is again a major attack line in Maine, where Democrats say the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade changed the stakes. With control of the Senate on the line, both sides see abortion and Collins’ judicial record as potent campaign material.
Maine’s Senate race is partly about a big court choice from years ago. Democrats say Susan Collins helped put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, and later he helped end a law that protected abortion rights. It is like voting to let a referee in, then seeing that referee change the rules later.
Analysis
Why Kavanaugh is back
Democrats in Maine are reviving Susan Collins’ 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a central campaign issue. The argument is straightforward: Collins backed Kavanaugh after saying he viewed Roe v. Wade as settled law, and Kavanaugh later joined the 2022 majority that overturned Roe, opening the door to abortion bans in many states.
Collins’ defense and Democrats’ counter
The article says Collins has expressed disappointment in the ruling but has not said she regrets voting to confirm him. In a February interview with an NBC affiliate in Maine, she defended the decision and said she believed it was the right vote after careful review and consultations with legal experts. Her campaign also argues that Democrats are recycling old attacks and ignoring broader issues facing voters.
Why Maine is different
Maine stands out among battleground states because it has elected Republican senators even while voters have strongly supported reproductive rights. That makes abortion a particularly usable issue for Democrats, especially now that Collins is facing her first election after Roe was overturned.
What Democrats are planning
According to the article, a key Democratic super PAC is highly likely to run abortion-focused ads in Maine, targeting Collins’ record on the Supreme Court. The group’s internal polling found that this message performs well with registered Democrats, behind healthcare and Medicaid cuts.
Bigger stakes
The article also notes another layer to the fight: if Republicans keep or regain the Senate, Collins could again be in a pivotal position on future Supreme Court nominees, with at least two conservative justices at retirement age. That makes the race about more than one past vote; it is also about who may shape the court next.
Key points
- Democrats in Maine are using Susan Collins’ 2018 Kavanaugh vote as a major campaign issue.
- Kavanaugh was a decisive vote in the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
- Collins says she still believes she cast the right vote, even though she later criticized the ruling.
- A Democratic super PAC is expected to run abortion-related ads against Collins in the general election.
- The race matters because Maine could help decide control of the Senate in 2026.
If Democrats succeed in making abortion and Collins’ Kavanaugh vote the decisive issue, they could build a strong turnout message in a state where reproductive rights are popular. That could help them compete more effectively in a race that matters for Senate control.
If voters think Democrats are relying too much on an old fight, the message may lose force against Collins’ broader brand as a moderate Republican. The article also suggests Collins can defend her vote as thoughtful and lawful, which could limit the attack’s reach.
