Republican Susan Collins has been an independent, moderate and eminently reasonable senator for many years! Recently, she co-authored and delivered millions of dollars through the Paycheck Protection Program, which helped businesses stay open, and allowed hundreds of thousands of Mainers pay their rent or mortgages and provide food for their families.

Additionally, as a social worker I have personally called Susan Collins for help when an insurance company refused to pay for doctor-ordered prescriptions for elderly Mainers. Sen. Collins and her staff were very attentive and helped to quickly resolve the payment issue for the affected Mainers. Susan Collins also co-founded the Senate Diabetic Caucus, which increased new treatments available for diabetics, thus saving many lives.

Sadly, Sara Gideon recently co-sponsored an increase in the gas tax, similar to the high gas tax in her home state of Rhode Island. Gideon apparently does not realize that Maine is a much larger, rural state, and people have to drive longer distances for work and school. High gas taxes would cripple many small businesses just coming back from the pandemic.This would be a hardship to most Mainers.

Finally, Sen. Collins will be the most effective in getting federal monies to Maine, as she is widely respected on both sides of the aisle. Gideon would likely be a pawn of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, agree to many unnecessary taxes and be unwilling to work with independents, Republicans and moderate Democrats.

Anna Stankiewicz
Gorham