Susan Rice, a former national security adviser to President Obama, said that she will decide after the November elections whether to launch a bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), claiming the lawmaker has “betrayed women across this country,” the Washington Post reports.
Effort to Unseat Susan Collins Is Underway
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) “was already one of the Democrats’ biggest Senate targets in 2020 when she took to the Senate floor Friday to announce she would vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But Collins’ decision to back the Supreme Court nominee after he was accused of sexual assault was instantly controversial with not only the hundreds of activists who flooded the Capitol this week but also with Democratic activists in her home state of Maine who have opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination for weeks,” CNN reports.
“By the time she finished her speech, Democrats in Maine had begun speculating who might challenge the moderate Republican. And progressive activists are pouring in money to fund the eventual challenger, raising millions of dollars online to unseat Collins.”
$2 Million Already Raised for Future Collins Opponent
Activists have now raised nearly $2 million for a future Democratic opponent of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) if she votes in favor of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Collins is expected to announce her final vote at 3 p.m. ET.
Voting for Kavanaugh Could Hurt Collins In 2020
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Maine finds that if Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) votes for Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, 47% of Maine voters said they would be less likely to vote for her when she runs for re-election, while 31% said they would be more likely to support her.
Key findings: 49% of Maine voters think Collins should vote against Kavanaugh and 56% don’t think she should vote on the nomination until there’s been a full review of Kavanaugh’s documents.
Trump Wants LePage to Run for Senate
President Trump is pushing Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) to run for the U.S. Senate, the Washington Post reports.
“Trump has told advisers he plans to call Mr. LePage, the bombastic governor who endorsed him in February 2016, and ask him to jump in against Sen. Angus King (I-ME) in 2018 — and that he would endorse him. King is an independent who often caucuses with Democrats.”
LePage Won’t Run for Senate
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) will not enter the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. Angus King (I-ME), the Portland Press Herald reports.
“LePage started talking publicly as early as 2015 about mounting a challenge to King, an independent who was Maine’s governor from 1995 to 2003. But in a statement issued late Wednesday, his political adviser, Washington, D.C.- based Brent Littlefield, said the Republican governor, who will turn 69 in October, feels he could better serve his constituents by remaining focused on the duties of governor.”
LePage Still Mulling Run for Senate
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said that says he’s strongly considering running for the U.S. Senate, but also feels he “wouldn’t make a very good legislator,” the Boston Globe reports.
He added that he thinks committee meetings “would be boring.”
LePage May Run for U.S. Senate
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) says he is giving “very serious thought” to a U.S. Senate run against Sen. Angus King (I-ME), the current independent senator and former governor LePage has accused of using investments in wind energy to increase his personal wealth, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Landrieu May Help Some GOP Senators with Re-Election
Former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) plans to spend some of the nearly $150,000 left in her campaign fund to help former Senate colleagues run for re-election, the Shreveport Times reports.
Landrieu said she also will contribute some leftover campaign money to Republicans: “I’m not opposed to helping one or two of my Republican friends that have helped Louisiana — if they ask. They haven’t asked yet.”
She specifically named Rob Portman of Ohio, who is up for re-election next year, and Susan Collins of Maine, who is up in 2020.
LePage Mulling Senate Bid
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) told a radio show that he may challenge Sen. Angus King (I) for the U.S. Senate in 2018, the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said LePage: “I’m thinking about it very strongly.”
Angus King Has Prostate Cancer
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) announced he would “undergo surgery later this week to remove prostate cancer,” the Bangor Daily News reports.
Said King: “I’m looking forward to a full recovery and to continuing my service in the Senate. And no, this does not affect my intention to run for re-election, except my poor little prostate won’t be along for the ride.”
LePage Suggests He Might Run for Senate
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said that he is considering running against Sen. Angus King (I-ME) in 2018, the Portland Press Herald reports.
King Won’t Abandon Democrats
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) announced that he “will continue to caucus with the Democrats in Washington despite Republicans’ wresting back control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s elections,” the Portland Press Herald reports.
“King, an independent serving his first term, acknowledged that caucusing with the minority party has some drawbacks but said he believes Maine is better served by him continuing to caucus with the Democrats, especially with Maine Sen. Susan Collins caucusing with the Republicans.”
McConnell Expected to Woo King and Manchin
Two Senate sources tell The Hill that they expect Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to reach out to Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) about joining the Senate Republican conference.
“Republicans have a 52-seat Senate majority and that could swell to 54 seats depending on the final vote tally in Alaska and a runoff in Louisiana next month. Both are solidly red states.”
