Contact: Shawn Roderick, shawn@susancollinsmaine.com

COLLINS FOR SENATOR RELEASES FIRST TELEVISION AD

First CFS Ad of 2026 Features Eastport Port Authority Executive Director Highlighting    Senator Collins’ Work to Rebuild the Eastport Breakwater and Strengthen Maine’s Economy

BANGOR, Maine – Collins for Senator today released the campaign’s first television advertisement of the 2026 campaign cycle. The ad features Chris Gardner, Executive Director of the Eastport Port Authority, speaking about Senator Susan Collins’ tireless work to secure funding to rebuild the Eastport Breakwater following its devastating collapse in 2014, and what that effort means for the people of Washington County and all of Maine.

The ad speaks directly to one of the most pressing issues facing Maine families today: affordability. When critical infrastructure fails… it is not just a structural problem, it’s an economic crisis. The collapse of the Eastport Breakwater in December 2014 brought the waterfront economy to a grinding halt, threatening the livelihoods of commercial fishermen, lobstermen, cargo workers, and the broader community that depends on a functioning harbor. Senator Collins understood that rebuilding the Breakwater was not just about concrete and steel, it was about keeping Maine working.

At 2:17 AM on the night of the collapse, Chris Gardner received the call that the Breakwater was gone. Before sunrise, he received a second call, from Senator Collins, who promised she would do everything in her power to see it rebuilt. She kept that promise.

Senator Collins secured a $6 million federal grant for the Port of Eastport. This investment, combined with additional state and local contributions, resulted in a new $15 million Breakwater which is built with composite materials designed to last for decades.

“The breakwater has long been a part of Eastport’s past,” says Gardner in the ad. “And with the help of Susan Collins, it will always be a part of our future as well. Thank you, Susan.”

The Eastport Breakwater, originally built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1962 and known as “The Million Dollar Pier,” served the community for more than 50 years, well past its intended 20-year lifespan. It is the foundation of the port of Eastport, a hub for commercial fishing and recreational boating, and home to both the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Without it, the economic and safety lifeline of Washington County’s waterfront is gone.

Senator Collins’ work to rebuild the Breakwater reflects her broader commitment to making Maine more affordable and more economically vibrant. Investing in infrastructure is investing in jobs including the skilled construction workers who built the new Breakwater, the lobstermen and fishermen who rely on a safe harbor, and the businesses that depend on Maine’s ports to connect our state to the world. These are the kinds of investments that help Mainers stay in Maine.

“One of my highest priorities has always been to improve Maine’s infrastructure and to ensure that our state’s needs are met,” said Senator Collins, who now serves as the Chairman of the power Senate Appropriations Committee. “These projects have the immediate benefit of keeping our skilled construction workers on the job. When complete, they help enhance safety, grow the economy, and create opportunity.”

Senator Collins is running for re-election on a strong record of delivering real results and always working for Maine… keeping communities strong, people working, and making life in our state more affordable for everyone.

To view the ad, click here.