Susan Collins

Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator for Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving senator. Born in Caribou, Maine, Collins is a graduate of St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. She began her career as a staff assistant for Senator William Cohen in 1975 and later became staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee. In 1987, she was appointed commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, and in 1992, she became director of the Small Business Administration's regional office in Boston. Collins has been an influential figure in Maine politics for decades.