As you may remember, Sen. Susan Collins's (R-ME) decision to vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh this fall pretty much sealed his confirmation. She had been on the fence for some time, but it was after observing how the Democrats treated Kavanaugh and how some critics treated her that she was able to make up her mind.
The Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee accused Kavanaugh of being a rapist throughout the proceedings after Christine Blasey Ford's accusations that he made sexual advances on her at a high school party. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) even suggested the nominee and his supporters were "evil." Anti-Kavanaugh groups, who also decided the nominee was guilty, warned Collins to vote against him or expect to be primaried.
By the latter stages of the hearings, Collins had had enough. The senator gave a powerful speech about the threats she had received since she started telling the press she was leaning "yes" on Kavanaugh. The bullying convinced her more than ever to vote for President Trump's nominee.
The threats didn't stop after her vote, either.
"You f---ing, f---ing feckless naïve woman," one anonymous caller said in a voicemail received by her office. He added an "f*** you!" for good measure.
Collins's family also reported receiving suspicious packages.
But, now we find that a whole slew of other voters rewarded her for the crucial vote which helped seal Kavanaugh's confirmation.
After announcing her decision to vote in favor of Kavanaugh’s controversial nomination during a speech on the Senate floor in early October, Collins raised $1.8 million in the final quarter of 2018, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.
Of the nearly $900,000 she received from individual donors who contributed more than $200 to her campaign, just $19,000 was from individuals with Maine addresses. (Bangor Daily News)
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She hadn't had this kind of a haul since 2007 and she received only $140,000 in the quarter before her vote on Kavanaugh. Her campaign chalks it up to their national efforts.
“We made an effort to have a strong quarter because we wanted to send the message that Senator Collins will be prepared to run a vigorous campaign in 2020,” said Amy Abbott, deputy treasurer of Collins’ campaign committee. “We focused our fundraising efforts nationally, which we typically do until the election year, which is why there were relatively fewer donations from Maine.”
Clearly, though, her steadfastness on Kavanaugh hit a nerve with Americans. Her approval rating among Republicans increased by 46 points between the third and fourth quarter of 2018.
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