FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22nd, 2026

Maine Veterans Endorse Senator Collins, Citing Her Unwavering Support for Those Who Served

BANGOR, Maine – The Collins for Senator campaign today announced the launch of a statewide coalition of Maine veterans supporting Senator Susan Collins, highlighting her long record of delivering results for veterans, military families, and Maine’s defense community.

As the daughter of a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, Senator Collins has made supporting veterans a personal priority throughout her Senate service.

The coalition is chaired by Kelly Hoffses and Brad Farrin. Chief Master Sergeant Hoffses (Ret.) and State Senator Farrin bring a combined lifetime of military leadership and service to the Collins for Senator Veterans Coalition. Hoffses recently retired after 41 years of service, 13 years in the U.S. Army (active duty & reserves) before transferring to the Maine Air National Guard. She served as the Joint Staff Senior Enlisted Leader and was one of the nation’s most senior enlisted leaders. Throughout her distinguished career, she held numerous leadership positions in Maine and Washington, D.C., helping guide and support service members across the country.

Sen. Farrin served nearly three decades in the Maine Air National Guard, retiring in 2013 as the state’s highest-ranking enlisted airman. A veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, he earned more than 18 military awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. Together, Hoffses and Farrin exemplify the leadership, dedication, and commitment to service that define Maine’s veteran community.

Joining Farrin and Hoffses and serving as Honorary Chairs are Major General Bill Libby (Ret.), a Vietnam veteran and former Adjutant General of Maine who served his country for 44 years, and Major General Doug Farnham (Ret.), a decorated combat veteran and former Assistant Adjutant General whose lifelong commitment to service has earned him the respect of veterans throughout Maine.

As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins has helped secure major investments to strengthen veterans’ health care, expand mental health services, improve rural access to care, and ensure veterans receive the benefits they have earned through their service.

The FY26 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill includes:

• $164.9 billion for veterans’ medical care
• $18.9 billion for mental health services and suicide prevention efforts
• $6.4 billion for telehealth programs serving rural veterans
• $3.5 billion to combat veteran homelessness and support caregivers
• $1.3 billion for women veterans’ health care services
• Nearly $1 billion for medical and prosthetic research; and
• $52.6 billion to continue implementing the PACT Act for veterans exposed to toxic substances.

Senator Collins has also supported investments to modernize VA infrastructure, strengthen oversight and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and provide stable, advance funding for veterans’ health care and benefits.

“Senator Collins understands that our obligation to veterans does not end when they return home,” said Kelly Hoffses and Brad Farrin, chairs of Veterans for Collins. “Susan’s leadership has helped deliver critical investments in veterans’ health care, the PACT Act, mental health services, and support for military families across Maine. We are proud to stand with Susan and support her re-election because she has always stood with those who served our country.”

“Supporting our veterans and military families is one of my highest priorities in the Senate,” said Senator Collins. “Our service members have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms, and we have a solemn obligation to ensure they receive the care, support, and benefits they have earned. I am honored to have the support of this coalition of Maine veterans who care deeply about the future of our state.”

Members of the coalition include veterans from every county in Maine who represent multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces. The coalition will help share Senator Collins’ record of supporting veterans, strengthening national security, and standing up for Maine service members, military families, and defense workers.

In addition to Chairs Hoffses and Farrin, and Honorary Chairs Libby and Farnham, co-chairs of the Collins for Senator Veterans Coalition include:

Roger Felix, U.S. Army, Caribou                      

Dan Sullivan U.S. Air Force, Surry                   

Glen Holmes, U.S. Air Force, Buckfield           

Jason Levesque, U.S. Army, Auburn                 

Dana O’Brien Sr., U.S. Marines, Ogunquit       

Ben Norton, U.S. Coast Guard, St. George       

Nichi Farnham, U.S. Air Force, Bangor            

Doug Damon, U.S. Air Force, Bangor       

Claude Berube, U.S. Navy, Bath                       

Curtis Mills, U.S. Army, Shapleigh

Jennifer Tyll, U.S. Navy, Cumberland

Corey Wilson, U.S. Marines, Readfield

Eric Voisine, U.S. Coast Guard, Eastport

Don Tardie, U.S. Army National Guard, Ashland

Scott Nichols, U.S. Army, New Sharon

Ed Thelander, U.S. Navy, Bristol

Matt Grant, U.S. Air National Guard, Dover-Foxcroft

Bill Vail, U.S. Army, Searsport

Jerry DeWitt, U.S. Army, New Gloucester

Garold Haines Jr., U.S. Marines, Avon

Ryan Morgan, U.S. Navy, Phillips