Collins’ abortion rights record is bad.....

Dem ad blitz goes after Collins’ abortion rights record

The first TV spot will highlight the Maine senator’s vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

By Alice Miranda Ollstein and Lisa Kashinsky

A group linked to a top Senate Democratic super PAC is launching a $2.5 million ad campaign that aims to undermine Sen. Susan Collins’ reputation as one of Congress’ last Republicans devoted to protecting abortion rights.

The TV and digital ad campaign from Affordable Maine, a C4 advocacy group closely aligned with the Democratic Party leadership group Senate Majority Forward, starts this weekend with a 30-second spot. The ad highlights the Maine senator’s vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, his subsequent role in overturning Roe v. Wade, and Collins’ recent statement that she does not regret that vote.

The ad campaign is among the first to air after Democrat Graham Platner’s ignominious exit from the race, a shakeup prompted by POLITICO’s interview with a woman he dated who said Platner forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections. Platner denied the allegations.

Affordable Maine’s campaign will also highlight Collins’ confirmation votes for dozens of other federal judges nominated by President Donald Trump, several of whom have ruled to uphold state laws restricting or eliminating the right to terminate a pregnancy.

“Because of Susan Collins, states are banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest, and women are dying,” the ad says. “And she’s still standing by it.”

The investment suggests Democrats remain bullish on flipping the Maine Senate seat despite the recent implosion of Platner’s campaign and the chaotic scramble to choose a replacement, and see Collins as uniquely vulnerable in her first reelection race since the fall of Roe.

Other top Democratic groups that signaled they would pull spending if Platner stayed on the ballot now say they’re ready to play again in one of the most critical Senate races on the map.

Swing Left, a national Democratic grassroots group that’s pledged $25 million in the midterms, is restarting its voter-outreach operations and launching a fund for the new nominee that the group expects will exceed $500,000, according to plans shared first with POLITICO.

“We removed Maine from our target map when the race was no longer a viable investment for grassroots resources,” Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy said in a statement. With a “credible path to defeating Susan Collins restored, we’re putting it back.”