The Collins for Senator campaign announced the formation of a statewide coalition of Maine veterans supporting U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, highlighting what the campaign described as her longstanding record of supporting veterans, military families, and Maine’s defense community.
The announcement comes as Collins seeks another term in the U.S. Senate and has drawn support from veterans representing communities across Maine and multiple branches of the Armed Forces.
Collins, whose father was a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, has frequently pointed to veterans’ issues as a priority throughout her Senate career.
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The newly formed Veterans for Collins coalition will be led by retired Chief Master Sergeant Kelly Hoffses and State Sen. Brad Farrin.
Hoffses recently retired after 41 years of military service, including 13 years in the U.S. Army on active duty and in the reserves before transferring to the Maine Air National Guard. During her career, she served as Joint Staff Senior Enlisted Leader and held numerous leadership positions in both Maine and Washington, D.C.
Farrin served nearly three decades in the Maine Air National Guard before retiring in 2013 as Maine’s highest-ranking enlisted airman. A veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Farrin received more than 18 military awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal.
The campaign said Hoffses and Farrin bring a combined lifetime of military leadership and service to the coalition.
Joining them as honorary chairs are retired Major General Bill Libby, a Vietnam veteran and former Adjutant General of Maine who served for 44 years, and retired Major General Doug Farnham, a combat veteran and former Assistant Adjutant General of Maine.
The campaign also highlighted Collins’ work as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, citing efforts to secure funding for veterans’ health care, mental health services, rural access to care, and veterans’ benefits.
According to the campaign, the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill includes:
- $164.9 billion for veterans’ medical care;
- $18.9 billion for mental health services and suicide prevention efforts;
- $6.4 billion for telehealth programs serving rural veterans;
- $3.5 billion to combat veteran homelessness and support caregivers;
- $1.3 billion for women veterans’ health care services;
- Nearly $1 billion for medical and prosthetic research; and
- $52.6 billion to continue implementing the PACT Act for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
The campaign also noted Collins’ support for modernizing Department of Veterans Affairs infrastructure, strengthening oversight and accountability within the VA, and providing advance funding for veterans’ health care and benefits.
“Senator Collins understands that our obligation to veterans does not end when they return home,” said Kelly Hoffses and Brad Farrin, chairs of Veterans for Collins. “Susan’s leadership has helped deliver critical investments in veterans’ health care, the PACT Act, mental health services, and support for military families across Maine. We are proud to stand with Susan and support her re-election because she has always stood with those who served our country.”
“Supporting our veterans and military families is one of my highest priorities in the Senate,” said Collins. “Our service members have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms, and we have a solemn obligation to ensure they receive the care, support, and benefits they have earned. I am honored to have the support of this coalition of Maine veterans who care deeply about the future of our state.”
The coalition includes veterans from every county in Maine and will work to promote Collins’ record on veterans’ issues, national security, military families, and Maine’s defense workforce.
In addition to Hoffses, Farrin, Libby, and Farnham, coalition co-chairs include:
- Roger Felix, U.S. Army, Caribou
- Dan Sullivan, U.S. Air Force, Surry
- Glen Holmes, U.S. Air Force, Buckfield
- Jason Levesque, U.S. Army, Auburn
- Dana O’Brien Sr., U.S. Marines, Ogunquit
- Ben Norton, U.S. Coast Guard, St. George
- Nichi Farnham, U.S. Air Force, Bangor
- Doug Damon, U.S. Air Force, Bangor
- Claude Berube, U.S. Navy, Bath
- Curtis Mills, U.S. Army, Shapleigh
- Jennifer Tyll, U.S. Navy, Cumberland
- Corey Wilson, U.S. Marines, Readfield
- Eric Voisine, U.S. Coast Guard, Eastport
- Don Tardie, U.S. Army National Guard, Ashland
- Scott Nichols, U.S. Army, New Sharon
- Ed Thelander, U.S. Navy, Bristol
- Matt Grant, U.S. Air National Guard, Dover-Foxcroft
- Bill Vail, U.S. Army, Searsport
- Jerry DeWitt, U.S. Army, New Gloucester
- Garold Haines Jr., U.S. Marines, Avon
- Ryan Morgan, U.S. Navy, Phillips
The Collins campaign said veterans interested in joining the coalition can do so through the campaign’s website.
