Maine Sen. Susan Collins reveals diagnosis of major tremors after launching re-election campaign
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) revealed that she has been living with significant anxiety for a long time after she launched her campaign for re-election to a sixth term in the United States Senate.
Collins, 73, revealed the condition – which causes visible tremors in his hands, head and voice – publicly for the first time on Wednesday while insisting it does not affect his ability to work in the role.
“I’ve had it the entire time I’ve served in the United States Senate,” Collins told NEWS CENTER Maine. It has absolutely no effect on my ability to do my job or how I feel day to day.
Collins, who was first elected in 1996, said he has never missed a Senate vote during his nearly 30 years in office — a tally approaching 10,000 consecutive votes — and pointed to that record as evidence that he remains healthy enough to continue working.
“If you talk to anyone in Washington, they’ll tell you that I’m the hardest working person they’ve ever worked with, and the truth is that I’ve never missed a single vote every time I’ve been honored to represent the people of Maine,” said Collins.
“I think that’s a great testament to the fact that I’ve been blessed with a good life.”
Collins added that his condition has “absolutely no effect” on his job performance or “ability to work.”
“It gets difficult sometimes, but that’s all,” she said.
Collins, who has been involved in American politics for three decades, is the longest-serving member of Congress from Maine and the longest-serving Republican woman in the Senate.
Essential tremor is a condition of the nervous system that causes rhythmic movements that a person cannot control, according to the Mayo Clinic.
This condition can affect almost any part of the body, but tremors most often appear in the hands.
The Mayo Clinic says it’s usually harmless, although it tends to get worse over time and can be severe in some cases.
It is sometimes mistaken as Parkinson’s disease, but it is a different condition. There is no known way to prevent it.
Dr. Rees Cosgrove, chief of the Division of Functional Neurosurgery at Mass General Brigham in Boston, said that essential tremor affects about 5% of adults over the age of 40 and about 20% of people over the age of 65.
In February, Collins announced his re-election bid.
“This is worthy of 2026,” Collins said as he opened a new box of sneakers in his campaign video. “Because I’m running!”
Collins’ Democratic challenger and leftist Graham Platner has also faced questions about his health during his campaign.
The 41-year-old Iraq and Afghanistan veteran said he suffers from PTSD and combat-related injuries after four tours overseas.
Last month, the Post exclusively reported that Platner once defended a Marine who urinated on a dead Taliban fighter.
