2020 Maine Senatorial race: debates and news coverage


(Click for external website)

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Sara Gideon: Protect & expand access to women's reproductive care.

Budget & Economy     Sara Gideon: COVID: prioritize small business, bolster unemployment funds.

Civil Rights     Sara Gideon: Support LGBTQ+ people everywhere.     Sara Gideon: Husband solicited to run for town council; she ran instead.

Drugs     Sara Gideon: Voted to regulate marijuana legalization in Maine.     Sara Gideon: Treatment for opioid addiction; hold big pharma accountable.

Education     Susan Collins: Allow employers to help pay employee student debt.     Sara Gideon: Access to high quality K-12 education for every family.     Sara Gideon: Tackle student debt crisis; expand trade, technical training.

Energy & Oil     Sara Gideon: Passed aggressive goals reducing carbon emissions in Maine.     Sara Gideon: Rejoin Paris Agreement; invest in clean energy.     Sara Gideon: Bold, immediate action on climate change.

Foreign Policy     Susan Rice: Didn't want to be pigeonholed as "black working on Africa".

Free Trade     Susan Rice: US beneficiary of free trade; don't cede leadership to China.

Government Reform     Sara Gideon: Worked in Maine to pass automatic voter registration.     Sara Gideon: End influence of big money on our elections and officials.     Betsy Sweet: Only Democrat to use Maine's taxpayer-funded election system.     Sara Gideon: $500 fine for campaign finance ethics violation.     Susan Rice: Supports National Voter Registration Day.     Betsy Sweet: Publicly funded federal election system.

Health Care     Sara Gideon: Strongly oppose raising Medicare eligibility age.     Sara Gideon: Let Medicare negotiate drug prices; allow imports.     Susan Collins: Improve advance transparency on medical billing.     Susan Collins: Authored law letting pharmacists help patients save money.     Susan Collins: Strong supporter of home care.     Sara Gideon: Let government negotiate to lower cost of drugs.     Susan Collins: Helped pass law lowering drug prices, speeding generics.     Sara Gideon: Complete the work started under Affordable Care Act.     Sara Gideon: Reduce prescription costs; protect pre-existing conditions.     Sara Gideon: Public option for Medicare, but not Medicare-for-All.

Homeland Security     Sara Gideon: Make sure that services vets have earned remain available.

Immigration     Sara Gideon: Urged support for DREAM Act.     Susan Collins: Co-sponsored bill for path to citizenship for DREAMers.

Jobs     Susan Collins: For Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act.     Sara Gideon: Co-sponsored bill to give unions access to public employees.     Sara Gideon: Prioritize needs of small businesses; raise minimum wage.

Principles & Values     Sara Gideon: Courts pushed to the right, favors independent judiciary.     Susan Collins: Nine is good number for seats on Supreme Court.     Sara Gideon: Public service is about improving the lives of people.     Susan Rice: Fierce love of country should override disagreements.

Social Security     Sara Gideon: Raise the earning cap so wealthiest pay their fair share.     Susan Collins: Foundation of retirement income for most Americans.     Sara Gideon: Protect Social Security, Medicare from cuts & privatization.

Tax Reform     Sara Gideon: Roll back Trump tax cuts; breaks for hardworking families.

War & Peace     Sara Gideon: Congress must provide oversight over military action.     Susan Rice: Small U.S. military presence in Syria fought ISIS threat.     Susan Rice: We sold out the Kurds in Syria.     Susan Rice: Benghazi investigations became "gotcha" game.     Susan Rice: National security endangered by lack of communication.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Betsy Sweet Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Maine Sara Gideon Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Maine Susan Collins Republican Sr Senator Maine Susan Rice Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Maine