Democrats hammer Susan Collins over Iran war vote
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Sen. Susan Collins arrives for votes at the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
A group linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is deploying America First-ish rhetoric against Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the GOP's most vulnerable incumbent in 2026, for backing the Iran war.
- "We need that money in Maine, not the Middle East," say a pair of new ads paid for by a 501(c)(4) that's affiliated with the Schumer-linked Senate Majority PAC.
Why it matters: Public support for the Iran war is wavering, and Democrats are trying to turn Collins' support for it into a political liability.
- Collins voted against a bill in March that would have restrained President Trump's ability to carry out military action in Iran. She said after the vote that "unequivocal support to our service members is critically important."
- During the government shutdown last year, Collins voted against a Democratic funding bill that would have also extended the Affordable Care Act tax credits and repealed Medicaid cuts. But she did support other individual efforts to extend the health care tax credits.
The big picture: Democrats are dealing with their own divide on Iran, including in Maine.
- Gov. Janet Mills, running for Senate, has criticized Trump's unilateral decision to attack Iran without consulting Congress. Mills is Schumer's endorsed candidate in the Maine Senate Democratic primary.
- But progressive Graham Platner, who is leading Mills in polls, has been aggressively opposed to the war, holding an anti-war protest in the state this month.
The other side: "Chuck Schumer can't figure what to do in Maine," Collins campaign spokesperson Shawn Roderick told us in a statement.
- "Janet Mills continues to struggle and he is afraid to attack Graham Platner because he knows the national progressives will have a fit. So instead, he resorts to his usual ways and throws lies and half-truths at Senator Collins. Mainers have seen Senator Schumer do this over and over again, and they know better."
The bottom line: Maine, with just 1.5 million residents, is on track to become the most expensive race per capita in the country.
- The same Democratic group spent $2 million on ads against Collins in the Maine Senate race just last month.
- Almost $37 million has been spent on ads in the race so far, according to AdImpact.
