The nomination of Judge Andrew Benson to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine cleared a major hurdle Wednesday, advancing out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with strong bipartisan support.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced that the committee approved Benson’s nomination by a 19–3 vote, sending it to the full Senate for consideration. Benson, a veteran Maine District Court judge and former senior homicide prosecutor, has been serving as interim U.S. Attorney since October.
Collins said Benson’s decades of public service and prosecutorial experience make him well-suited to take on the escalating criminal challenges confronting Maine.
“His many years of experience as a senior homicide prosecutor and his long tenure on the Maine District Court give me great confidence that he will serve our state well as U.S. Attorney,” Collins said, pointing to growing concerns about illegal Chinese-operated marijuana grow houses and increasing drug trafficking from out-of-state gangs.
Benson, a Bethel native now living in Unity, served on the Maine District Court from 2014 to 2025. Before that, he spent 15 years as a senior homicide prosecutor with the Maine Attorney General’s Office. He is a graduate of both the University of Maine and the University of Maine School of Law.
He was appointed interim U.S. Attorney on Oct. 22, 2025, pending Senate confirmation.
Collins, who as senior senator of the same party as the president, advises the Trump administration on federal appointments in Maine. She convened a Federal Appointments Advisory Committee of attorneys and community leaders to review candidates for Senate-confirmed positions. Benson was among the applicants the committee evaluated.
