BioSusan Margaret Collins was born on December 7, 1952, in Caribou Maine, where her family runs a sixth-generation lumber business that was founded by her ancestors in 1844. She is one of six siblings raised by Pat and Don Collins. Both of her parents served as mayor of Caribou. Her father, a World War II veteran, served in both the Maine State Senate and the State House, one of four generations of Collins family members to serve in the Maine Legislature. Growing up in Aroostook County, Senator Collins learned the meaning of hard work as well as the importance of public service and commitment to community. She graduated from Caribou High School in 1971.
Senator Collins graduated Phi Beta Kappa from St. Lawrence University in 1975 and began working for Maine Representative Bill Cohen. She remained a member of his staff when he was elected to the Senate three years later, where she was promoted to staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
In 1987, she was appointed by Maine Governor John McKernan as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. In 1992, she was appointed as Director of the Small Business Administration's Regional Office in Boston by President George H.W. Bush. She continue her work to champion small businesses when she was named the founding Executive Director of the Center for Family Business at Husson College (now Husson University) in 1994.
In 1996, Senator Collins was elected to the Senate, succeeding her former boss, Bill Cohen. She was reelected in 2002, 2008, and 2014 by increasing margins. In 2020, she won an historic re-election victory, becoming the first-ever Republican woman to win a 5th term. She is also the first popularly elected U.S. Senator from Maine to be elected to a 5th term. She is the eleventh most senior member of the Senate and the most senior Republican woman.
Senator Collins has earned a national reputation as an effective legislator who works across party lines to solve problems and deliver results for the people of Maine and America. For the past eight consecutive years, she has ranked as the most bipartisan member of the U.S. Senate by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University.
Throughout her Senate service, Senator Collins has worked with members of both parties to advance landmark legislation to improve the lives of all Americans. Her record demonstrates significant legislative accomplishments in such critical areas as health care, small business development and job creation, education transportation, national defense, and issues of particular interest to our nation's seniors.
Known for her Maine work ethic, Senator Collins has cast more than 8,000 consecutive votes and holds the longest perfect voting record in the history of the U.S. Senate.
Senator Collins is married to Thomas A. Daffron. They reside in Bangor, Maine, along with their beloved black lab, Pepper.
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