Planned Parenthood's super PAC is pouring more than $600,000 into a new advertising campaign against Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), aiming to make her abortion record a central issue in a race Democrats see as a prime pickup opportunity this fall.
Planned Parenthood Votes unveiled the first wave of digital spots on Monday. One ad features a Maine woman who says she previously voted for Collins but now regrets that choice, citing the senator's votes on abortion and her confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"She said very recently that she doesn't even regret confirming Brett Kavanaugh, and that just is so shocking to me," the woman says in the ad. "I can't take my vote back, but I will not make the same mistake twice."
The campaign comes as Democrats look to unseat Collins, a four-term incumbent who has sought to position herself as a moderate but faces criticism from the left over her role in reshaping the Supreme Court. Collins voted to confirm Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch, both of whom were in the majority when the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She opposed Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who also backed the ruling.
Collins' campaign pushed back sharply, with spokesperson Blake Kernan accusing Planned Parenthood of prioritizing Democratic victories over policy consistency. Kernan noted that as recently as 2025, the organization acknowledged Collins had a "long history of supporting Planned Parenthood and access to essential health care."
"The Planned Parenthood Action Fund cares more about electing Democrats than any issue," Kernan said. "Now they are endorsing a candidate who as recently as 2013 received a 100% pro-life rating," she added, pointing to Democratic nominee Troy Jackson. "As Planned Parenthood itself said, Susan Collins has always supported access to care for Mainers and all Americans, and she will continue to do so."
Jackson, a former Maine Senate president who was tapped to replace scandal-plagued oyster farmer Graham Platner on the Democratic ticket, has faced scrutiny over his own abortion record. He began his legislative career as a Republican and later switched parties, and he previously opposed both same-sex marriage and abortion before evolving on those issues.
"I've made mistakes early on in understanding" abortion, Jackson told The New York Times last month. "Regardless of this U.S. Senate race, I'm really, really proud of how I've turned that around and, you know, done the right thing. I mean, I was wrong."
Collins has occasionally broken with her party on abortion, including co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would have codified federal abortion protections before the Dobbs decision. But her votes on Kavanaugh and Gorsuch have made her a target for reproductive rights groups.
The super PAC is also running ads against former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, signaling a broader effort to hold Republicans accountable on abortion. The Maine race is one of several where outside groups are investing heavily, and the outcome could hinge on whether Collins can fend off attacks over her Supreme Court votes.
As the campaign intensifies, both sides are bracing for a contentious fight over abortion access, a topic that has proven decisive in recent elections. With the political landscape shifting, Democrats are betting that Collins' record will cost her in a state that has trended Democratic in presidential races.
