Collins says she does not regret Kavanaugh confirmation

Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on Friday, June 12, that she does not regret her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his subsequent vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Republican senator's reaffirmation of her position has drawn immediate criticism in the midst of her closely contested 2026 reelection campaign.

Collins was asked about the confirmation vote during an interview with a local news outlet. "I do not regret that vote," she stated, while adding, "I do disagree with Justice Kavanaugh's vote." She noted she has also voted to confirm Democratic-appointed justices and said her evaluation of a nominee is based on their qualifications, integrity, background, and experience.

The senator's 2018 vote was pivotal in Kavanaugh's narrow 50-48 confirmation. At the time, Collins argued he respected legal precedent and indicated she did not believe he would vote to overturn the landmark abortion ruling. Kavanaugh was part of the majority in the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which ended the federal constitutional right to abortion.

Collins, a longtime supporter of abortion rights, expressed disappointment...