Platner Reopens Kavanaugh Debate in Maine Senate Race

Platner marked the anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling by circulating a 2018 video of Collins delivering a robust defense of then-judge Kavanaugh. At the time, Collins lauded him as an "exemplary public servant" who she believed would respect Roe v. Wade as established precedent. That trust proved misplaced, as Kavanaugh eventually cast a decisive vote to dismantle federal abortion protections, triggering total or near-total bans in 13 states.

While Collins claimed in 2022 that she had been misled regarding Kavanaugh's judicial philosophy, she recently insisted she does not regret her confirmation vote. She further attempted to deflect criticism this week, claiming that the 6-3 court majority would have overturned Roe regardless of her support. This assertion ignores the 5-4 nature of the final ruling, a discrepancy that led Platner to accuse her of dishonesty. With polling from Marquette University showing that 61% of Americans still disapprove of the Dobbs decision, Democratic groups are betting that voters remain deeply engaged on the issue. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is now expanding this line of attack to other GOP targets, including Senator Dan Sullivan, hoping to link Republican voting records directly to the broader rollback of reproductive freedoms.