Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden Credit union group to spend million on Senate, House races MORE (R-Maine) said she does not regret her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughTrump faces tricky choice on Supreme Court pick The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' MORE, despite the vote becoming a key issue among Democrats hoping to unseat her when she is up for reelection next year.

“I do not regret my vote in the least,” she said in an interview with The New York Times published Saturday.

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Collins cited Kavanaugh’s abortion record during his tenure on the high court.

Though he voted to uphold a Louisiana law restricting abortion access, he declined to take up a case that posed a threat to Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized the procedure nationwide.

The Maine Republican has become a top target for Democrats looking to flip Senate seats in 2020 following her vote to confirm Kavanaugh to the high court last October. She recently gained a formidable Senate challenger in Sara Gideon, the Democratic Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, who has targeted Collins over her backing of Kavanaugh.

“At one point, maybe Sen. Collins was different, but she doesn’t seem that way anymore: taking over a million dollars from drug companies and the insurance industry and voting to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court,” Gideon said in her campaign announcement.

Collins, who has been in the Senate since 1997, has sought to defend her reputation as a moderate amid an intense effort by progressives to recruit candidates to challenge her.

“I’m an important voice for the nation in an increasingly polarized environment,” she told the Times. “There are so few members left in the center.”

“It’s ironic to me that I am among [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish MORE's [D-N.Y.] top targets when there is no one who works more across the aisle,” she added.

Betsy Sweet, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018, and Bre Kidman, an attorney, are also challenging Collins for her seat.