Free & Just looks forward to working with Senator-elect Jackson to protect access to abortion; Collins still faces an FDA vote before she leaves
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Mainers elected Troy Jackson to the U.S. Senate, ending Senator Susan Collins’ three decades in office. Collins, who voted to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh and has said she does not regret it, faced voters for the first time since the Dobbs decision in 2022. She leaves office in January, and before she does, she may face one more vote on abortion access: the confirmation of Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the FDA. Four years after the Dobbs decision, Mainers drew the line.
“Senator Collins’ last abortion vote may still be ahead of her,” said Gowri Buddiga, Campaign Director, Free & Just. “If Heidi Overton’s nomination comes to the floor before January, Mainers expect her to reject it. After that, we look forward to working with Senator-elect Jackson.”
In response to Troy Jackson’s election to the Senate, patient advocates from across Maine released the following statements:
“The tragedy of my son’s diagnosis was made worse by laws that forced me to leave Maine for care,” said Dana Peirce, a mom from Yarmouth who was forced to travel out-of-state for abortion care after her baby was diagnosed with a rare and fatal genetic condition. “When Susan Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, she helped seal that fate for millions of families like mine. Tonight, Mainers chose a different one.”
“I’ve shared my abortion story in an effort to expand access to care and so that Susan Collins would understand what her vote cost people already living through the worst days of their lives,” said Erin Wolf, an attorney and mom based in Falmouth who had to scramble to find care in Maine after learning her baby severe form of spina bifida and irreversible brain damage during later stages of her pregnancy. “For the first time since the Dobbs decision, this was our chance to answer her at the ballot box. Mainers did. I will continue to share my story, and I am hopeful that Troy Jackson will prioritize reproductive freedom.”
If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates about what this election means for reproductive freedom and what’s next, please contact Kelly Rimar (kelly@freeandjust.us).
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.