Vance touts Collins's independent streak during Maine trip

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday expressed support for Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asserting that while he occasionally disagreed with her, she represented her battleground state effectively.

Collins has a long streak of bucking her party and voting as a relative moderate, a habit that has often placed her at odds with Republican administrations.

“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish that she was more partisan," he said, during an event in Bangor. "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.”

Collins is facing a tough reelection bid against Democratic candidate Graham Platner. She has long managed to buck the odds to hold her seat as a Republican in a state that hasn't backed one for president in decades. The Maine Senate race is expected to be one of the most contentious in the battle for the Senate.

Vance made his comments while in the state, which he visited to tout his anti-fraud task force's efforts to combat misuse of public funds. Collins did not attend the event, which Vance explained by saying she had to cast her vote in Washington.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.