Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsRepublicans prepare to punt on next COVID-19 relief bill Trump tweets spark fresh headache for Republicans Trump’s tweet on protester sparks GOP backlash MORE (R-Maine) said on Tuesday that she is considering running for governor next year.
Asked if she would run for her state’s top office, the Maine Republican told a local radio station that she is “trying to figure out where I can do the most good.”
“I’m being totally honest with you, I truly don’t know. I really don’t. It’s a hard decision,” Collins told WGAN when asked about her political plans.
Paul LePage, Maine’s current GOP governor who has been involved in a string of controversies, is term-limited. Under the state’s constitution, a governor can only serve two back-to-back four-year terms. LePage was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014.
Collins, who ran for governor in 1994 and lost to now-Sen. Angus KingAngus KingSenator suggests law enforcement used ‘excessive force’ in Lafayette Square incident Trump administration could pursue drilling near Florida coast post-election: report Hillicon Valley: Chinese tech groups caught in rising US-China tensions | Senator questions controversial facial recognition group on use during protests | Study finds vulnerabilities in online voting system used by several states MORE (I), has drawn speculation about a potential 2018 gubernatorial run for years.
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Her office has previously demurred, with a spokeswoman telling the Portland Press Herald last year that she is “focused on her job representing Maine in the United States Senate.”
Collins said during her interview on Tuesday that both positions, either remaining in the Senate or running for governor, would have their advantages.
“In the Senate I now have significant seniority and that allows me to do a lot. Coming to be governor, if I were fortunate enough to be elected … you can work on issues that I care a lot about like economic development, jobs, education, and I would try to heal the state and bring people back together,” she said.
Collins has been at the center of the Senate’s action so far this year, joining with Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiMilley discussed resigning from post after Trump photo-op: report OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump administration seeks to use global aid for nuclear projects MORE (R-Alaska) to oppose Betsy DeVos’s nomination as Education secretary and forcing Vice President Pence to cast a historic tie-breaking vote on a Cabinet nominee.
She’s also offered a healthcare bill with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that was backed by some of her GOP colleagues after the House ObamaCare repeal-and-replace effort hit a wall, and she spearheaded talks to try to preserve the 60-vote filibuster for Supreme Court nominees during the fight on Justice Neil Gorsuch’s nomination.
Collins isn’t up for reelection for her Senate seat until 2020. She would have to resign her Senate seat if she ran for governor and won, a move that could allow LePage to pick her successor.
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