Maine’s senior U.S. senator reached that milestone on Thursday night, voting yes on an amendment to Medicaid legislation as she seeks a sixth term as the only Republican up for reelection in a state President Donald Trump lost in 2024. Collins has not missed a vote since she arrived in the Senate in 1997. It’s the longest streak in Senate history when measured from a senator’s first vote in the chamber, according to her office.
Collins’ 10,000th vote underscores her longtime presence in the Senate, where she chairs the Appropriations Committee. For her campaign, it’s a useful marker of steadiness during a week when her presumptive Democratic opponent, Graham Platner, has come under renewed scrutiny just before the primary election on Tuesday.