Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is fighting two battles.
One is her reelection bid, the other is a benign tremor.
The lawmaker said the tumor sometimes causes trembling in her hands, head or voice. She is taking medication, adding the condition “has absolutely no impact on my ability to do my job.”
Collins, 73, told NEWS CENTER Maine about her condition as she prepares for a re-election battle against oyster fisherman and Marine and Army National Guard combat veteran Graham Platner.
“What I have is an extremely common condition that is called a benign essential tremor. I have had it for the entire time that I have served in the United States Senate. It has absolutely no impact on my ability to do my job or how I feel each day,” she said.
Collins added she has never missed a vote on the Senate floor during three decades of service. She will be casting her 10,000th consecutive vote soon.
“If you talk to anybody in Washington, they will tell you that I am the hardest working person that they have every worked with, and the fact is I’ve never missed a single vote in all the time that I’ve been honored to represent the people of Maine,” she said.
“I think that’s pretty good evidence of the fact that I am blessed with great health,” she added.
A benign tremor is not related to any cognitive decline or memory decline.
Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and now chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
Platner led Collins 51% to 45% in an Echelon Insights poll conducted from April 3 to April 9.
