The effort to unseat Susan Collins in 2020 is already underway
(CNN)Sen. Susan Collins 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.
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.
A half dozen Democratic operatives and lawmakers in Maine raised several names of potential candidates who are openly considering the job, including Chellie Pingree, the Democrat representing Southern Maine in the US House; Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives; Seth Berry, a former member of the Maine House of Representatives; and Hannah Pingree, a former speaker of the Maine House and Chellie Pingree's daughter. Some Maine Democrats also mentioned Jared Golden, the veteran running in Maine's 2nd Congressional District this year, as a possible challenger whether he wins or loses the race, as well as Emily Cain, a top operative at the Democratic group EMILY's List and two-time congressional candidate from Maine.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/05/politics/susan-collins-2020-challenge/index.html
Poll: Voters less likely to support Collins if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh
A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday shows a plurality of Maine voters want Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to reject Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court and many will be less likely to support her for reelection if she votes to confirm him.
The poll found that 49 percent of Maine voters who responded do not think Collins should vote to confirm Kavanaugh. In addition, 47 percent of the total respondents said they’d be less likely to vote for her reelection in 2020 if she helped elevate Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
That number grows to 53 percent if Kavanaugh hypothetically votes to overturn Roe v. Wade while on the high court.
The poll goes on to show a full majority, 56 percent, of Maine voters surveyed think Collins should review Kavanaugh's full record and related documents before a potential vote. The Senate is under a tight deadline to do so.
The poll also found that Collins also has a 35 percent approval rating in her state, along with a 48 percent disapproval rate and 17 percent of respondents said they are “not sure” if they approve of her job performance or not.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate...ort-collins-if-she-votes-to-confirm-kavanaugh
