Stephen King’s Oct. 21 column (“Shenna Bellows will be a voice for struggling Mainers”) nails it: Democrat Shenna Bellows is one of us and as U.S. senator would vote to increase the minimum wage and otherwise serve the interests of working people. Susan Collins would show up for votes, vote against increasing the minimum wage and continue to vote the obstructionist Republican agenda most of the time.

Truth is, Collins has been around Washington a very long time. On foreign policy, she has been a hawk.

She was quick to insist on intensified sanctions against Iran at a juncture when doing that would have threatened sensitive negotiations with that country, and possibly led to war. When Secretary of State John Kerry needed congressional support for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Collins was nowhere to be found.

On both domestic and foreign matters, Maine would be well served by a fresh face and voice in the U.S. Senate. Shenna Bellows fits that bill.

Lois V. Hinckley

Vienna