The Maine GOP voted on Saturday against the censorship of former Senator Susan Collins for her vote to convict former President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection.
The party overturned the censorship measure by 41-19 votes.
“Today’s decision is a testament to the Republican Party’s ‘big tent’ philosophy, which respects different views, but unites around fundamental principles,” Collins said in a statement.
“Our party was most successful when it adopted this approach to promote our common goals of providing tax benefits for families and job creators for small businesses, seeking fiscal and governmental responsibility, promoting personal responsibility, protecting constitutional rights and ensuring strong defense citizenship.”
HOW SUSAN COLLINS CHALLENGED DEMOCRATS
Seven Republican senators voted to condemn Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot, but most were not treated so kindly by his party at home.
The Alaska GOP censored Senator Lisa Murkowski, the only one of seven facing reelection next year. The Louisiana GOP censored Senator Bill Cassidy and the North Carolina GOP censored Senator Richard Burr. The Pennsylvania and Nebraska Republican Party rebuked its senators, Pat Toomey and Ben Sasse, but stopped close to censorship. Actions to censor Senator Mitt Romney in Utah have been unsuccessful.
Collins won his fifth term in January, after a fierce battle for the vacancy with challenger Democrat Sarah Gideon. Democrats poured money into the state for the race, but Maine’s broadly moderate electoral bloc went to Collins by a 9-point margin.
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Collins and other moderates like Murkowski and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, both Democrats, often dictate the fate of legislation at the 117th Congress, which Democrats strictly control.