Biography

Susan Margaret Collins was born on December 7, 1952, in Caribou, Maine, into a family with a longstanding history in the lumber industry and public service. Her parents, Patricia and Donald Collins, both served as mayors of Caribou, and her father was a World War II veteran who also served in the Maine Legislature. Collins graduated from Caribou High School in 1971 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from St. Lawrence University in 1975.

Collins began her career in public service as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative William Cohen from 1975 to 1987. She then served as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation from 1987 to 1992 and was appointed as the New England regional director for the Small Business Administration in 1992. In 1994, she became the founding director of the Center for Family Business at Husson University in Bangor, Maine.

In 1996, Collins was elected to the U.S. Senate, succeeding William Cohen. She has been reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020, making her the first Republican woman to win a fifth term in the Senate. Throughout her tenure, Collins has been recognized for her bipartisan approach and has held significant positions, including chairing the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs from 2003 to 2007 and the Senate Special Committee on Aging from 2015 to 2021.

Education and Political Experience

• Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, St. Lawrence University, 1975

• Political Experience:

  • Legislative Assistant to U.S. Representative/Senator William Cohen
  • Commissioner, Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation
  • New England Regional Director, Small Business Administration
  • Founding Director, Center for Family Business at Husson University
  • U.S. Senator from Maine
  • Chair, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Chair, Senate Special Committee on Aging

Collins is known for her moderate Republican stance and commitment to bipartisan collaboration, focusing on issues such as health care, small business development, education, and national defense.