Susan Rice: 'I've Been Moved By The Enthusiasm' to Challenge Sen. Collins

After appearing to walk back her suggestion last week that she would run against Sen. Susan Collins in 2020, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice said on Sunday she has been "moved by the enthusiasm" expressed by Democrats about such a possibility, according to The New Yorker.

"I’m going to give it due consideration after the midterms," said Rice, who made the comment after Collins voted for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Last week Rice, who served in the Obama administration, generated a strong reaction when she tweeted "me" in response to a post from former White House Communications Director Jen Psaki asking, "Who wants to run for Senate in Maine? There will be an army of supporters with you." 

According to The Hill, Rice later said she was "not making any announcements." 

Collins on Sunday belittled a possible challenge from Rice, saying that "everybody knows" she does not live in Maine.

But Rice defended her connection to the state, saying at a New Yorker event that "My ties to Maine are long and deep... My grandparents emigrated to Portland, Maine, in 1912. They stayed in Maine until they died... For the last twenty years, I’ve been a homeowner in the state of Maine." 

Rice added that she “will have to do a lot more homework before I make a decision," conceding that there are many good Democrats in Maine and that "It’s a complicated political environment."

Progressive groups in the state have pledged more than $3 million to someone who challenges Collins in the 2020 elections due to  her Kavanaugh vote.

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