Bank lobbying group launches ad backing Collins reelection bid

The U.S. banking industry’s largest lobbying group will run television advertisements supporting the reelection of Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of the most vulnerable incumbent Senate Republicans.

The American Bankers Association (ABA) on Thursday released an ad praising Collins as “America’s most bipartisan senator,” lauding her for her role in creating the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the emergency loan program for small businesses passed through the March CARES Act.

The ABA will spend at least $100,000 to run the ads on Maine television stations in support of Collins’s bid for a fifth Senate term.

“Senator Collins has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to provide Mainers with the support they need during this difficult time,” said ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols. “Her efforts helped pass bipartisan legislation to create the critically important Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses weather the pandemic.”

Collins, one of the Senate’s most moderate Republicans, is facing a daunting bid for reelection against Democratic challenger and Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon. Collins’s support among Mainers in both parties has steadily declined since President Trump’s election, and a poll conducted by the Bangor Daily News earlier this month found Gideon with an 8-point lead over the incumbent.

As Collins touts her moderate reputation and bipartisan track record, Gideon has sought to tie Collins closer to Trump by highlighting her vote in favor of Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Democrats have also criticized Collins’s vote against Trump’s removal from office despite frequently condemning his conduct.

Collins is the latest vulnerable moderate seeking reelection to win the support of the ABA. The powerful lobbying group has cut ads backing several industry-friendly lawmakers in both parties up for reelection this year, including Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).

The ABA also ran ads in support of 12 vulnerable senators and representatives from each party during the 2018 midterm elections.