Susan Collins Biography: Age, Height, Husband, Career, Senate Voting Record, Net Worth, Salary, & Facts

Susan Collins is one of the most recognizable moderate voices in modern American politics, a Republican senator from Maine whose independent streak has made her a pivotal swing vote on everything from Supreme Court confirmations to healthcare repeal. First elected in 1996, she has spent nearly three decades navigating a deeply polarized Washington while maintaining a reputation for bipartisanship that reflects the pragmatic spirit of her rural New England roots. As the 119th Congress unfolds in 2026, Collins remains a central figure in debates over federal spending, aging policy, and judicial nominations.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Susan Margaret Collins was born on December 7, 1952, in Caribou, Maine, a small city in Aroostook County near the Canadian border. She grew up in a family deeply rooted in public service and local business. Her father, Donald Collins, served as mayor of Caribou and later in both the Maine House and Senate, while her mother, Patricia McGuigan, also held local office. The Collins family operated a lumber business, giving Susan an early education in the economic realities of rural Maine.

She attended Caribou High School, where she was elected student body president. In 1975, she graduated magna cum laude from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, with a bachelor’s degree in government. During college, she spent a semester interning in the office of Maine Congressman Tom McKernan, an experience that solidified her interest in legislative work.

Career Journey

Early Staff Work and State Government (1975–1994)

After graduating, Collins returned to Maine and served as a legislative assistant to Congressman McKernan from 1975 to 1977. She then joined the staff of Senator William Cohen, rising to become his Statewide Coordinator in Maine. When Cohen moved to the Senate, Collins followed, working as his regional representative from 1981 to 1987.

In 1987, Governor John McKernan appointed her Commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, where she oversaw banking and insurance policy. She later served as the New England regional director of the Small Business Administration under President George H.W. Bush. In 1994, she launched a bid for Governor of Maine, winning the Republican primary but losing the general election to independent Angus King.

Election to the U.S. Senate (1996–2000)

In 1996, Collins ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by her mentor, William Cohen. She won a competitive Republican primary and went on to defeat Democrat Joseph Brennan in the general election. At age 44, she became the first woman in Maine history elected to the Senate, taking office in January 1997.

Building a Bipartisan Record (2001–2016)

Over her first two decades in the Senate, Collins developed a reputation as a pragmatic dealmaker. She served on the Armed Services Committee before moving to Appropriations, where she controlled federal spending priorities. She became a senior member of the Senate Committee on Aging and later joined the Select Committee on Intelligence.

She worked across the aisle on issues including homeland security funding after 9/11, pandemic preparedness, and rural healthcare access. She also became known for her detailed, color-coded markup of legislative text—a habit that reflected her meticulous approach to policy.

The Trump Era and High-Profile Swing Votes (2017–2020)

The 2017 effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act thrust Collins into the national spotlight. After weeks of public deliberation, she joined Senators John McCain and Lisa Murkowski in voting down the “skinny repeal” bill, effectively preserving the ACA. The vote made her a hero to moderates and a target for conservative activists.

In 2018, she delivered a 45-minute floor speech announcing her support for Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, citing his judicial record and the lack of corroboration for sexual assault allegations. The decision triggered a nationwide fundraising campaign against her and cemented her image as a senator willing to absorb political heat for her convictions.

During Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, Collins voted to acquit but stated she believed the president had learned his lesson from the process—a comment that drew criticism from both Democrats and legal analysts. She faced similar scrutiny during the second impeachment proceedings following the January 6 Capitol attack.

Re-election and Continued Influence (2021–2026)

Collins’s 2020 re-election campaign against Democrat Sara Gideon became the most expensive Senate race in Maine history, with outside groups pouring tens of millions of dollars into the state. She prevailed by roughly nine percentage points, securing a fifth term that runs through January 2027.

In the current Senate, Collins serves as the top Republican on the Aging Committee and sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee, where she influences funding for defense, healthcare, and rural infrastructure. She has also remained active on the Intelligence Committee, participating in oversight of U.S. surveillance and counterterrorism programs.

Career Stats Summary

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Susan Collins married Thomas Daffron on August 11, 2012, in a private ceremony in Caribou, Maine. Daffron is a longtime political consultant and former chief of staff to Senator William Cohen—the same senator for whom Collins worked early in her career. The couple had known each other professionally for decades before their relationship turned romantic.

Collins has no biological children but is stepmother to Daffron’s three daughters from a previous marriage. She has spoken publicly about her decision not to have children, stating that she focused on her career and public service. The couple maintains residences in Bangor, Maine and Washington, D.C.

Hobbies and Interests

Colleagues and staffers know Collins for her love of crossword puzzles, which she often completes during long flights between Maine and Washington. She is also an avid reader and enjoys hiking in her home state, particularly along the trails of Aroostook County and the Maine coast. She has a well-documented fondness for Maine cuisine, especially lobster and wild blueberry pie.

Community Involvement

Collins remains deeply connected to Maine’s civic life. She regularly hosts job fairs, senior citizen forums, and small-business roundtables across the state. She has also championed funding for rural hospitals and broadband expansion in underserved counties.

Controversies

The Brett Kavanaugh Confirmation (2018)

Collins’s vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court generated the most intense backlash of her career. After announcing her decision in a lengthy Senate floor speech, progressive groups launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised millions for her eventual 2020 opponent. Protestors gathered outside her Washington and Maine offices, and she received sustained media criticism for dismissing the allegations against Kavanaugh as uncorroborated.

The “Learned His Lesson” Comment (2020)

Following her vote to acquit Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial, Collins told CBS News that she believed the president had learned a “pretty big lesson” from the process. When Trump continued to challenge election results later that year, critics seized on the quote as evidence that she had misjudged his behavior. The comment became a recurring attack line in her 2020 re-election campaign.

Healthcare Repeal Deliberations (2017)

Collins’s prolonged public indecision over the ACA repeal frustrated both parties. Republicans accused her of grandstanding, while Democrats criticized her for even considering the repeal. Her eventual “no” vote preserved the law but left lingering resentment among conservative donors who had expected party loyalty.

Club for Growth Primary Threats

Throughout her career, conservative PACs such as the Club for Growth have threatened primary challenges against Collins for her moderate voting record. While none have successfully unseated her, the persistent tension between Collins and the Republican base remains a defining feature of her political identity.

Awards & Achievements

• LBJ Foundation Award for Leadership in Bipartisanship
• Maine Women’s Hall of Fame (inducted 2015)
• St. Lawrence University Distinguished Alumni Award
• Numerous “Most Bipartisan Senator” rankings from the Lugar Center and Georgetown University
• Dozens of Legislator of the Year awards from veterans’ groups, rural health organizations, and senior advocacy associations
• First woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Maine

Physical Statistics

Quotes

• “I have always believed that our first duty is to the people we represent, not to any political party.”
• “I am a moderate Republican, and I am proud of it. I believe that the best solutions often come from the center, not from the extremes.”
• “I do not believe that the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh meet the standard of more likely than not.” — From her 2018 Senate floor speech on the Kavanaugh nomination.

Favorites

Earnings

Collins has built a modest financial profile typical of longtime public servants. Her wealth comes primarily from her Senate salary, investment income, and her husband’s consulting work.

• Senate Salary: $174,000 per year (standard for rank-and-file senators).
• Net Worth: Estimated between $2 million and $5 million, based on financial disclosure forms that list real estate holdings, retirement accounts, and mutual funds.
• Husband’s Income: Thomas Daffron has earned income as a political consultant and lobbyist, though exact figures are not publicly detailed.
• Travel & Expenses: As a senator, she maintains official travel budgets for constituent work between Washington and Maine.

Interesting Facts

• Collins is the first woman ever elected to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate.
• Her father, mother, and brother have all served in the Maine state legislature, making public service a true family tradition.
• She has never lost a Senate election, winning five consecutive terms over nearly three decades.
• She is known on Capitol Hill for her color-coded pen system when reviewing legislation, using different hues to track amendments.
• She married her husband, Thomas Daffron, at age 59 after decades of friendship and professional collaboration.
• She was one of the few Republican senators to vote against the 2017 ACA repeal, effectively saving the law.
• She has served alongside Senator Angus King—who defeated her in the 1994 governor’s race—for over a decade as Maine’s Senate delegation.

Did You Know Already?

• Susan Collins worked as a congressional aide for nearly two decades before running for Senate herself.
• Her 2020 re-election race against Sara Gideon was the most expensive political contest in Maine history, with combined spending exceeding $200 million.
• She has voted for Supreme Court nominees nominated by both Republican and Democratic presidents, reflecting her institutionalist view of the judiciary.
• She is one of the last remaining Republican senators from New England, a region that was once a GOP stronghold.

Social Media Links

• X (Twitter): @SenatorCollins
• Facebook: SenatorSusanCollins
• Instagram: @susancollins
• Official Website: www.collins.senate.gov
• YouTube: SenatorSusanCollins

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Susan Collins?
Susan Collins is 73 years old. She was born on December 7, 1952, in Caribou, Maine.

How tall is Susan Collins?
She stands at approximately 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 meters). Exact physical measurements have not been officially confirmed by her office.

Who is Susan Collins’s husband?
She is married to Thomas Daffron, a political consultant and former chief of staff to Senator William Cohen. They wed on August 11, 2012, in Caribou, Maine.

What committees does Susan Collins serve on?
As of 2026, she serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Special Committee on Aging (as top Republican), the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

What is Susan Collins’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is between $2 million and $5 million, based on Senate financial disclosure reports.

Why is Susan Collins famous?
She is famous for being a moderate Republican swing vote in a closely divided Senate. Her decisions on healthcare repeal, Supreme Court confirmations, and impeachment trials have repeatedly shaped national policy and drawn national attention.

Did Susan Collins have children?
No, she has no biological children. She is stepmother to three daughters from her husband’s previous marriage.

Conclusion

Susan Collins has spent nearly three decades in the U.S. Senate carving out a unique space as a moderate Republican willing to break with her party on issues of conscience. From her rural Maine upbringing to her pivotal votes on the Senate floor, her career reflects a brand of pragmatic politics that has become increasingly rare in Washington. Whether one views her as a principled independent or a frustrating enigma, there is no denying her influence on the major debates of her era. If this biography helped you understand the senator behind the headlines, share it with fellow political observers and let us know which Collins vote you think will define her legacy.