Vice President JD Vance held a public event in Brewer, Maine, on Monday at a defense technology manufacturer, Compotech, where he praised Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) as a key ally in the Senate. Collins, who is seeking reelection against Democrat Troy Jackson, did not attend the event, citing a prior scheduling conflict, according to her campaign spokesman Blake Kernan.
Vance, in his remarks, acknowledged Collins while joking about her independence. “And of course, the second shoutout I got to give is to my dear friend Susan Collins, the senator from Maine,” he said. “And whenever I’m in Maine, I got to give Susan a little bit of crap, because as you know, Susan is the most independent member of the United States Senate, and as the president of the United States Senate, she sometimes makes my job just a little bit harder.”
Collins’ absence follows policy disagreements with Trump administration priorities. Collins has opposed President Donald Trump’s recent move to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, a decision that impacts Maine due to its shared border with Canada. Additionally, she has criticized new U.S. Postal Service rules that could restrict mail-in voting, a stance at odds with Trump-aligned policies. Collins confirmed her scheduling conflict in a statement to reporters on Saturday, noting she was already committed to an event.
During the same period, Collins highlighted her bipartisan engagement by praising Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s visit to Maine the prior week, where he toured a federally funded battery storage project in Lincoln. “I really appreciated Secretary Wright’s presence,” Collins said during the Madison-Anson Days parade, her seventh appearance at the event this summer.
Collins, a moderate Republican in a blue-leaning state, is a top Democratic target in her reelection bid, which is among a dozen races that could determine whether the GOP retains its slim Senate majority. Her attendance record in the Senate includes over 10,000 consecutive roll call votes over three decades, though she was not present for Vance’s earlier May visit to Bangor due to Senate session obligations.