Republican Sen. Susan Collins Discloses Her Longtime Tremor After Scrutiny In Maine's Senate Race

PORTLAND, Maine — Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins says she has a benign basal tremor, disclosing nan longtime wellness information for nan first clip successful her decades-long governmental profession arsenic she seeks reelection successful 1 of this year’s toughest Senate races.

Collins first confirmed nan tremor to WCSH-TV successful Maine connected Wednesday aft facing questions astir her wellness from appearances successful caller videos, including her run announcement video.

The information causes trembling successful Collins’ hands, caput and voice, and she said she has had it for nan entirety of her astir three-decade Senate career. It affects millions of Americans complete nan property of 40 and “does not interfere” pinch work, Collins said successful a Thursday connection to nan Associated Press. She said it is not a neurodegenerative condition.

“The tremor is occasionally inconvenient, and sometimes nan taxable of sadistic comments online, but it does not inhibit my expertise to activity and, arsenic I said, is thing that I person lived pinch for decades,” nan connection said.

Health issues and candidates’ ages person drawn accrued scrutiny successful high-profile elections pursuing Democratic President Joe Biden’s determination not to activity reelection successful 2024 astatine property 81. Those questions person only lingered pinch Republican President Trump, who’s 79 and successful caller months has been seen pinch bruising connected nan backmost of his hand, sometimes concealed pinch makeup. The White House acknowledged past twelvemonth that Trump was diagnosed pinch chronic venous insufficiency.

Collins is up for reelection successful a spot Democrats request to flip to person a chance to return backmost nan Senate. Her apt force is Democrat Graham Platner, an oyster husbandman and combat veteran, aft Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her run past week. Age has been an rumor successful nan contest, pinch Collins, 73, and Mills, 78, much than 3 decades older than Platner, 41.

Platner acknowledged early successful his run his ain wellness problems. He has spoken openly astir chronic symptom successful his enarthrosis and knees stemming from combat service, and he has said he was diagnosed pinch post-traumatic accent upset aft serving astatine war. Platner has said he has a 100% disablement standing from nan U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs but continues to activity arsenic an oyster farmer.

“There are a batch of abnormal combat veterans, aliases conscionable abnormal vets, astatine 100%, who still work,” Platner told WCSH past year. “It’s a very normal thing.”

Collins was first elected to nan Senate successful 1996 and said successful her connection that she has had nan information for each of that time. Over nan years, nan information has been noticeable successful Collins’ debates and predominant nationalist appearances.

As chair of nan Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has been astatine nan forefront of nan chamber’s galore spending disputes this Congress, often starring nan level statement and providing nan GOP’s closing arguments. She often engages pinch reporters successful nan hallways. Her streak of ne'er missing a Senate ballot is up to 9,966 and stands arsenic nan second-longest consecutive voting streak successful nan chamber’s history.

Tremors hap erstwhile nerves aren’t decently communicating pinch definite muscles. Essential tremor, sometimes called benign basal tremor, is 1 of nan astir communal activity disorders, according to nan National Institutes of Health.

The consequence of processing it increases arsenic group get older, but astatine slightest half of cases are inherited, meaning nan tremor runs successful nan family, and those thin to statesman astatine younger ages. It almost ever involves shaky aliases trembling hands but besides tin impact nan head, sound aliases little limbs.

Whittle and Kruesi constitute for nan Associated Press. Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I. AP writers Kevin Freking and Lauran Neergaard successful Washington contributed to this report.