Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she doesn't 'regret' confirming Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018, though she's disappointed by his role in overturning Roe v. Wade. The moderate Republican, who supports abortion rights, faces a challenging re-election battle in a state that has since legalized abortion at all stages.

Collins noted she received private assurances from Kavanaugh that he wouldn't threaten abortion rights, and she pointed out that other justices she supported, like Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, voted to preserve Roe. She has voted for seven of the nine current Supreme Court justices, opposing only Amy Coney Barrett's rushed confirmation.

Democrats, led by challenger Graham Platner, are targeting Collins's support for Trump judicial nominees as evidence she advances conservative agendas. Campaign ads argue 'Susan Collins is only bipartisan when it doesn't matter.' The race represents a critical test for Democrats' Senate strategy.

Women comprise the majority of Maine's electorate and remain a key swing bloc, particularly older women. While abortion rights drove Democratic wins in 2022, the issue showed less electoral power in subsequent cycles. Collins's 2020 re-election came more than two years after her detailed 43-minute Senate speech explaining her Kavanaugh vote.