PORTLAND, Maine (AP)—The Democratic speaker of the Maine House of Representatives announced Monday that she is challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has found her long-standing image as a moderate come under fire in an increasingly polarized Washington.
Rep. Sara Gideon, of Freeport, who has been the speaker for the past two terms, has made abortion a central focus of her campaign. Collins, first elected in 1996, is expected to run for another term but has yet to formally announce her candidacy.
