Susan Collins, the Maine Republican fighting to hold her Senate seat in one of 2024's most competitive races, disclosed Tuesday that she has managed a decades-old neurological condition while dismissing any concerns about her fitness for office.
Collins, 73, revealed to an NBC Maine affiliate that she has benign essential tremor, a condition she has treated with medication since entering the Senate nearly three decades ago. She said the tremor causes periodic shaking in her hands, arms, and head but insisted it has no bearing on her work capacity.
"I have had it for the entire time that I have served in the United States Senate," Collins said, characterizing it as an "extremely common" condition with no impact on her job performance or daily life.
The timing of Collins's disclosure comes as Democrats see her seat as vulnerable. Polling data shows her facing a single-digit disadvantage against presumptive Democratic opponent Graham Platner, a military veteran, with just months until November. The race intensified last week when Janet Mills, the former Democratic governor and previous frontrunner in the primary, suspended her Senate campaign.
Collins has already drawn criticism from Republicans for her willingness to vote with Democrats on high-stakes issues. In 2021, she was one of just seven GOP senators who voted to convict Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial following the January 6 Capitol riot. That independence has made her a frequent target for partisan attacks.
Recent online videos showing visible tremors in her hands and voice have sparked renewed health questions about the senator. Ken Klippenstein, an independent journalist, posted footage on X this week questioning whether Collins showed signs of physical decline. Newsweek reported that the scrutiny began after she launched her re-election campaign in February with videos that displayed noticeable shaking.
Collins shot back at the concerns with her voting record. She said she has not missed a single Senate vote in 30 years and credited that perfect attendance as evidence of her health. "If you talk to anybody in Washington, they will tell you that I am the hardest-working person that they have ever worked with," she said.
Benign essential tremor is not uncommon. According to the Mayo Clinic, the neurological condition causes involuntary shaking that typically affects the hands. It is most prevalent in adults over 40 and can intensify over time, though it is distinct from Parkinson's disease and carries no connection to cognitive decline or dementia.
Dr. Rees Cosgrove, chief of functional neurosurgery at Boston's Mass General Brigham health system, noted that roughly 5 percent of adults over 40 have some form of essential tremor, rising to 20 percent among those over 65. He explained that the condition produces no neurological complications beyond the tremor itself.
Platner's campaign has seized on other vulnerabilities, pointing to statements Collins made during her 1996 campaign when she pledged to serve only two terms before stepping aside. "Twelve years is long enough to be in public service, make a contribution, and then come home and let someone else take the play," she said at the time. She has since served five terms.
Author James Rodriguez: "Collins's preemptive disclosure feels like damage control, but whether it stops the bleeding depends entirely on whether voters care more about her health or her record of party disloyalty."
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