Dear Editor:

I have known Sen Collins since before she ran for governor in 1994. I have always supported her, but this election in particular demonstrates her importance to Maine and the country.

I grew up influenced by patriotic women who shared different views on the most important issues. But they all understood that their spirited debate was in the service of creating a more perfect Union. And they knew that strong political opponents only made their ideas better.

Figures like Frances Scott Perkins, my great-grandmother Fannie Stone, who was the first female postmistress, and my grandmother Madge Campbell was clerk of Lincoln County Court in 1948 would be rolling over in their graves if knew about our current era of divisiveness.

In my mind, Senator Collins is one of the few members of Congress and the only candidate in the Senate race who captures the culture good-faith discussion and patriotism that I knew in my childhood.

Many of my Democratic friends also see in Senator Collins the last vestige of an American worth saving and they are planning to vote for her in November.

Senator Collins recently visited the Boothbay region. After seeing smooch negativity the news, it was refreshing to speak with her and watch her interact with so many young people who came to meet her for first time.

We must re-elect Susan Collins! She remains the embo0diment of what politics used to be and they can become again.

Dawn Gilbert

Boothbay