Sen. Susan Collins is getting air cover from a political group linked to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after coming under heavy fire from a Democratic outfit that is blaming her for the state’s lack of critical medical supplies.
One Nation, the political nonprofit group aligned with the Senate Leadership Fund, a McConnell super PAC, is spending $510,000 to air a new advertisement across Maine defending the vulnerable Republican’s response to the coronavirus. The 30-second spot, running on television, radio, and digital platforms, is a direct response to an ad from Majority Forward, the political nonprofit organization affiliated with Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Collins is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and liberals sense their best opportunity yet to oust the four-term senator.
Republican groups have moved since January to shield Collins from Democratic attacks. The latest one from Majority Forward accuses the senator of siding with President Trump over Maine and holds her responsible for healthcare workers in the state going without protective gear. “Doctors and nurses are scrounging for medical supplies,” the voice-over says as the Democratic spot opens. “Once again, Susan Collins defends the president. But that’s wrong for Maine.”
The rebuttal advertisement from One Nation charges that “dark money” groups are distorting Collins’s record and touts her work in Congress to boost Maine’s inventory of medical equipment. “Sen. Collins has been working across the aisle to secure more personal protective equipment for Mainers and to prevent drug shortages,” counters the voice-over in the Republican spot.
The Collins-Gideon race is shaping up to be among the most expensive Senate contests of the 2020 cycle, with both parties earmarking tens of millions of dollars. Maine is a blue state, although Trump only lost there by 3 percentage points in 2016, winning the 2nd Congressional District outright.
