Last week, my company was preparing to bring a major shipment of seaweed into Maine from Canada. The Trump administration’s tariffs threatened to wipe out our profit on that shipment. But the stakes went far beyond one delivery.

I run Ocean’s Balance, a seaweed processing and manufacturing business in Biddeford. Had the tariffs stayed in place, they would have undercut our ability to compete, invest in equipment, develop new products and create jobs in Maine.

We reached out to Sen. Susan Collins’s office and explained what was at stake. Her staff took the problem seriously, worked directly with us and pushed for a solution. On Friday, we learned that seaweed will be exempt from the tariffs beginning Oct. 30. We immediately delayed our shipment.

Collins and her staff played a key role in getting this exemption. They did more than express sympathy. They delivered a result that makes a real difference for our business and our employees.

There is an obvious irony here. A Republican administration imposed tariffs that threatened a Maine business, and a Republican senator helped get them removed. When we needed help, her office came through.

I’ve been a Democrat my entire adult life. I didn’t vote for Donald Trump, and I find his rhetoric and many of his policies deeply troubling. I also don’t always agree with Collins, but the claim that Collins simply does whatever Trump wants doesn’t square with her record. She voted to convict him after Jan. 6. She voted against his major tax-and-spending bill last year, citing its effect on Medicaid and rural hospitals. She has challenged his tariffs on Canada. Those disagreements matter. They show an independence that is rare in Washington, and I have come to appreciate her willingness to work across party lines to deliver results for Maine.

Here is the reality: Trump will be president through January 2029. Even if Democrats win Congress, his administration will keep making decisions that affect Maine businesses, hospitals and communities. Who is better positioned to influence those decisions: a newly elected senator who will reliably oppose the president, or a senior Republican who can disagree with him and still get a hearing?

Collins chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. That position, and her relationships on both sides of the aisle, give Maine influence that cannot be rebuilt overnight. It doesn’t guarantee good outcomes. But it matters, and I just saw why.

I worry about where both parties are headed. Confrontation and loyalty tests have taken hold on the right, and too many on the left treat business, moderation and compromise as suspect. Neither leaves much room for the kind of practical politics Maine has traditionally valued.

I want a senator who will stand up to Trump when he is wrong. I also want someone who can pick up the phone, get into the room and make a difference when a Maine business or community needs help. Criticism alone is not a substitute for influence.

The seaweed tariff fight didn’t change my party or my view of the president. It did reinforce my belief that Maine is better off with Susan Collins in the Senate. 

Mitchell Lench is the founder and CEO of Ocean’s Balance, a seaweed processing and manufacturing company based in Biddeford, Maine. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Ocean’s Balance.