How Maine Democrats plan to make abortion an issue for Susan Collins
Platner has made Collins’ Kavanaugh vote a focus of his campaign and accused her of misrepresenting the court’s role in overturning Roe.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Portland Press Herald is an established regional newspaper with an identified reporter and original local reporting. The article also credits the Associated Press for contributing reporting.
- Source type — Established regional newspaper with local reporting.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Editorial standards — The article attributes claims to named sources and distinguishes them from reported facts.
- Transparency — It acknowledges that the Associated Press contributed reporting.
The article includes comments from Collins’ campaign, Platner, the Maine Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and academic experts, alongside court-vote details and KFF statistics. It presents competing arguments, though much of the discussion concerns campaign claims and expert assessments rather than extensive independent voter evidence.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes arguments from both Collins’ side and her Democratic critics, along with expert views and factual context about the court votes. The piece focuses on Democratic campaign activity, but it also reports Collins’ explanations and the limits of the issue’s local impact.
- Counterarguments presented — Collins’ explanation of her Kavanaugh vote and her campaign’s defense are included alongside Democratic criticism.
- Source diversity — Sources include campaign representatives, an advocacy group leader and academic experts.
- Omitted context — The article notes Maine’s abortion-law changes and that affordability is a higher priority for some voters.
- Loaded language — Strong accusations appear as attributed quotations rather than the article’s own voice.
The article reports Democrats’ strategy and Collins’ response in largely neutral language, with claims attributed to their speakers. It gives context about both the court ruling and Collins’ prior positions without adopting either side’s campaign framing.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive language, with charged characterizations presented as direct quotations.
- Source selection — Includes perspectives from Democrats, Collins’ campaign, Planned Parenthood and academic observers.
- Framing — Frames abortion as a campaign issue and examines uncertainty about its importance to voters.
Maine Democrats are trying to make Sen. Susan Collins’ 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh a focus of her reelection campaign, with ads and a news conference planned. Senate candidate Graham Platner has also made the vote central to his campaign, while Collins says she does not regret it.
The Maine Democratic Party is launching television and streaming ads featuring Collins’ recent comments that she does not regret voting to confirm Kavanaugh, and plans a news conference with reproductive-rights advocates. Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate, was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and released an ad focused on Collins’ vote. A political science professor said abortion access may matter to voters, though affordability and cost of living are currently higher priorities for many.
Collins says she disagrees with Kavanaugh’s vote in the 2022 Dobbs decision, but argued that the outcome would have been the same without his vote. Platner accused her of lying, arguing that Kavanaugh was the deciding vote in overturning Roe. The article explains that the court separately voted 6-3 to uphold Mississippi’s abortion restriction and 5-4 to overturn Roe. Collins’ campaign also cited her past support for family-planning programs and a 2022 effort to codify Roe; Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson said Collins had not made the “hard decision” when asked.
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Maine senator and subject of Democrats’ campaign over her Kavanaugh confirmation vote
Collins's version of this story ↗Democratic challenger Collins defeated in 2020
Senate majority leader at the time Collins says a codification bill was not brought to the floor
Maine governor who signed an abortion-access law
Part of a bigger story
15 OUTLETSA Fox News poll gave Susan Collins a 50%-47% lead over Graham Platner among registered voters in Maine, while Platner led among voters who said they were extremely motivated to vote. Left-leaning outlets center Platner’s anti-corruption platform and allegations about Collins, presenting them as his campaign’s challenge to the incumbent. Center outlets report competing claims and campaign developments, pairing accusations with responses and polling with other voter measures. Right-leaning outlets emphasize Collins’s lead and Platner’s vulnerabilities, though some also note his edge among highly motivated voters.
- ARTICLES
- 19
- OUTLETS
- 15
- AVG CRED
- 58
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