Vance calls Sen. Susan Collins ‘a good fit for Maine’ despite his frustrations with her

2026 ElectionVance calls Sen. Susan Collins ‘a good fit for Maine’ despite his frustrations with herThe vice president offered the kind words for the vulnerable Republican, reflecting Collins’ tough re-election fight in a battleground for partisan control of the Senate.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00JD Vance spoke in Bangor, Maine, on May 14.Tierney L. Cross / Pool / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 14, 2026, 1:43 PM EDTBy Henry J. GomezVice President JD Vance offered a vote of confidence Thursday for Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who voted to convict President Donald Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial and faces a tough re-election fight this year in Maine.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins,” Vance said during a speech in Bangor, Maine. “I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent, because Maine is an independent state. And, frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”He added: “So let’s give a shout out to Susan Collins, who’s doing a great job.”Collins was not in the audience for the vice president’s remarks at an airport hangar. Vance, a former senator who referred to Collins as his “friend,” said she was in Washington, D.C., for votes.Maine is one of the top battlegrounds for control of the Senate this fall, with Collins among the most vulnerable Republicans seeking a new term. Her independent streak and occasional concerns about Trump are well-documented and underscored by her being one of only seven GOP senators to vote to convict the president on a charge that he incited the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Though Collins breaks with Trump more often than other Republican, she still votes in line with his agenda roughly 95% of the time.Collins will face the winner of next month’s Democratic S...