Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has become an unexpected focal point in Maine's 2026 Senate race, as Democratic challenger Graham Platner works to make Sen. Susan Collins' pivotal 2018 confirmation vote a central campaign issue eight years later. Collins, a Maine Republican facing a competitive re-election fight, cast the deciding vote that put Kavanaugh on the high court—a decision that took on new weight after Kavanaugh voted with the majority in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Collins has served in the Senate for nearly three decades and has long been a top Democratic target, given Maine's unusual electoral pattern of electing a Republican senator while its voters have historically supported abortion rights. Platner won the Democratic primary and is now framing Collins' Kavanaugh vote as evidence she cannot be trusted on reproductive rights.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic groups are targeting Collins aggressively over her Supreme Court votes. Senate Majority PAC, a key Democratic super PAC, says it is "highly likely" to run abortion-related ads in Maine during the general election focusing on Collins' record, calling her the deciding vote for justices who overturned Roe. The group conducted polling in March showing that attacks linking Collins to Kavanaugh were the second-strongest issue for registered Democrats, behind only healthcare and Medicaid cuts.
\"After she voted for Kavanaugh, that was the last straw,\" said Arie Mobley, a Maine voter who attended a rally for Platner. Janice Low, another attendee, recalled listening to Collins on the radio in 2018 when she seemed opposed to confirming Kavanaugh before ultimately voting yes. \"It was just so representative. That she could say this—and then do that,\" Low said.
In his primary victory remarks, Platner directly addressed Collins' record: \"She got elected promising to protect Roe versus Wade, only to turn around and put on a justice who overturned it? She lied to us.\" Platner has argued that if Collins values bipartisanship, she should explain why she was the deciding vote for Kavanaugh and against reproductive rights.
What the Right Is Saying
Collins' campaign pushed back sharply on the renewed focus on her confirmation vote. A campaign spokesperson said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and \"his partisan allies\" are \"repackaging old attacks that were litigated in 2020\" and predicted Mainers have more pressing concerns than what the spokesperson called \"6-year-old leftovers.\"
In a February interview with a Maine NBC affiliate, Collins defended her confirmation vote as correct despite expressing disappointment in Kavanaugh's later abortion ruling. \"I believe that I cast the right vote. It was a difficult vote that I spent a great deal of time. I had two interviews. I consulted with legal experts,\" Collins said. She noted she has also voted for Democratic-appointed justices and lamented, \"I never hear from Democrats giving me credit.\"
Collins' defenders point out that she won re-election in 2020 after Kavanaugh's confirmation, which they view as voter vindication of her decision at the time. The race involves complications on both sides, as Platner faces his own allegations from an ex-girlfriend—allegations he has denied.
What the Numbers Show
Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 Senate vote in October 2018, with only one Republican senator voting against him and no Democrats supporting his nomination. Collins' vote served as the decisive GOP support for confirmation during a highly contentious process marked by sexual assault allegations that Kavanaugh denied.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4 ruling, with Kavanaugh joining the majority. This was the same justice Collins helped confirm after stating she believed he considered Roe \"settled law\"—a characterization that proved inaccurate once he reached the bench.
Maine uses ranked-choice voting for federal elections and has not elected a Democratic senator since 2012, despite the state backing Democratic presidential candidates by significant margins in recent cycles. Senate control is widely seen as hanging in the balance in this election cycle, making Maine one of the most competitive Senate races nationally.
The Bottom Line
Kavanaugh's presence in the Maine race reflects how Supreme Court confirmations can have long political echoes years after the initial vote. For Democrats, Collins' Kavanaugh confirmation—combined with his subsequent ruling on abortion—represents a concrete example they can point to when arguing she broke her promises on reproductive rights.
The race carries broader implications for Senate control and future court nominations. Strategists note that if Republicans reclaim the Senate, Collins could again be pivotal in confirming one or two new Supreme Court justices, given that at least two conservative justices are at retirement age. That prospect adds stakes to what is already one of the most closely watched Senate races of 2026.
What happens next: The general election campaign is expected to feature significant advertising from both parties, with abortion rights likely to be a central Democratic message in Maine—making Kavanaugh's role in this race one to watch through November.