Fried, Brewer speak to media about Sen. Collins’ decision not to run for governor
University of Maine political scientists Amy Fried and Mark Brewer spoke with several media outlets about U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ recent announcement that she will not run for governor of Maine. Collins, a moderate Republican who helped block her party’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act this year, said she planned to remain in her current office, Reuters reported. “She is at the very center of virtually every big policy debate and big vote in the U.S. Senate,” Brewer told Reuters. “She remains an incredibly important player on any issue she wants to focus on.” If Collins decided to run for governor, she would have entered a campaign free-for-all with at least 18 others so far, according to The New York Times. “She hasn’t had a competitive election for a very long time, and so there’s much more uncertainty for her now than in previous elections,” Fried told NYT, adding Collins would have faced stronger attacks “in a way she just hasn’t had from her own party.” Fried also was quoted an NBC News report, and Brewer also spoke with WABI (Channel 5).