Planned Parenthood's political arm is pouring another $1 million into Senate contests in Maine and Michigan, sharpening its focus on two Republicans it says are out of step with voters on reproductive rights. The new spending by Planned Parenthood Votes, an independent super PAC, will fund digital advertising campaigns aimed at unseating Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).
In Maine, Collins is seeking a sixth term against former state Senate President Troy Jackson (D). In Michigan, Rogers is vying for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, facing former Wayne County health official Abdul El-Sayed. The additional cash brings Planned Parenthood Votes' total outlay in these races to $600,000 in Maine and $800,000 in Michigan, on top of the new infusion.
The move is part of the group's broader "We Decide" campaign, a $47 million effort launched this summer to target lawmakers who voted to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood. The organization provides reproductive healthcare, including abortions, and has made abortion access a central issue in the 2024 elections.
Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) broke with their party last year to remove a provision from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have barred Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for services to low-income women. Despite that vote, Planned Parenthood Votes argues Collins cannot be trusted on reproductive rights, pointing to her support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was part of the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Jackson has also hammered Collins for her Kavanaugh vote, which he says enabled the end of federal abortion protections. Jackson himself has faced scrutiny over his past anti-abortion stance, but he has publicly acknowledged his evolution. "I've made mistakes early on in understanding" abortion, Jackson told The New York Times in July. "Regardless of this U.S. Senate race, I'm really, really proud of how I've turned that around and … done the right thing. I mean, I was wrong."
In Michigan, Rogers has positioned himself as a conservative on social issues, but Planned Parenthood Votes is betting that voters will side with El-Sayed, who has made reproductive rights a cornerstone of his campaign. The group's executive director, Sarah Standiford, said in a statement Tuesday that both Collins and Rogers "can't be trusted to protect our rights or our healthcare."
"It's our job to make sure every voter knows that before they cast their ballot," Standiford added. "Our message is resonating online and at the doors, and moving voters, so we're putting more resources behind it in two races where we know Planned Parenthood Votes can make a big difference."
The new ad buys come as recent polling shows Democrats leading in several key Senate races, though Collins maintains a narrow advantage over Jackson in Maine. The spending also aligns with other Democratic super PACs targeting Collins over Medicaid cuts.
