JD Vance Campaigns in Maine, Endorses Sen. Susan Collins Ahead of Midterms

Vice President JD Vance praised Sen. Susan Collins during a campaign trip to Maine before the fall midterm elections. At an event in Bangor on Thursday highlighting the work of Vance’s anti-fraud task force, the vice president noted that Collins was not in attendance due to votes in Washington.

Vance told the crowd he sometimes gets frustrated with the senator. “Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent because Maine is an independent state, and frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine,” he said.

Vance followed the longer reflection with a direct endorsement. “So let’s give a shout out to Susan Collins, who’s doing a great job,” he added. Collins is facing a tough reelection battle this fall and is likely to face Democrat Graham Platner in the general election.

Platner leads Graham by an average of 7 percentage points according to RealClearPolitics’s data aggregation. Washington Examiner reported that Collins has distanced herself from Vance and President Donald Trump in recent months. The same day, Vance campaigned for former Republican Gov.

Paul LePage in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The seat is open after Rep. Jared Golden opted to retire. President Donald Trump won Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by 10 percentage points in 2024 over Kamala Harris.

Republicans view the district as a prime pickup opportunity. Vance spoke warmly of LePage’s record. “Paul is a great guy, a guy who loves the state of Maine,” he said. He tied LePage’s potential return to Washington to efforts against fraud.

“Fraud has festered in Maine because this guy is no longer the governor of Maine, so we’re going to send him to Washington and fight fraud at the federal level,” Vance said. Collins’ absence from the Bangor stop underscored the practical demands of Senate business even as the fall campaign intensifies.

Her independent brand has long been viewed as an asset in a state that values split-ticket voting.