This story appears as part of a collaboration to strengthen investigative journalism in Maine between the BDN and The Maine Monitor. Read more about the partnership.
The Democratic National Committee released ads Thursday morning targeting Sen. Susan Collins over health care, its first round of Senate campaign ads this cycle.
The four-figure ad buy, first reported by NOTUS, urges her to vote to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, saying she could cause health care premiums to skyrocket for thousands of Mainers.
They come ahead of votes planned for Thursday on health care, including a Democratic-led proposal expected to extend the subsidies for three years.
“Today’s Senate vote to extend the ACA tax credits could be the difference between life and death for many Mainers,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement about the new ads. “Over 50,000 Mainers will see their health care premiums skyrocket next year if Susan Collins does not stand with working families and vote to extend these lifesaving credits.”
Martin said Collins — who is facing Democratic challenges from Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner, both of whom support extending the subsidies — and other Republicans should vote with Democrats to “stop these price hikes.”
The DNC’s ad buy includes what it called a “digital homepage takeover” of the Bangor Daily News’ website. Collins resides in Bangor.
Additional ads will target persuadable voters throughout the state, specifically in rural areas where a number of residents receive the ACA tax credits, according to the DNC.
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that nearly 54,000 Mainers receive advanced premium tax credits for ACA plans, meaning they could see their health care premiums double or triple in January.
Collins voted in 2010 against the creation of the Affordable Care Act and in 2021 against expanding the subsidies as part of a broader spending bill. During the government shutdown earlier this year, she voted against a measure to extend ACA subsidies.
However, Collins has also opposed efforts to repeal the ACA, saying there must first be a replacement.
On Monday, she and Sen. Bernie Moreno revealed a proposal that would extend the enhanced ACA tax credits for two years, with some stipulations. It would require low-income people to pay a minimum of $25 a month and enforce a subsidy cutoff for households that make over $200,000 annually.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS, a publication from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute and The Maine Monitor, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization covering the state of Maine.
