(CNN) Susan Collins ended the drama of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court just before 4 p.m. Eastern time Friday.

That's the moment when, after a looooooong speech explaining her thought process, the Maine Republican senator announced she would support Kavanaugh in the final vote on Saturday.

"My fervent hope is that Brett Kavanaugh will work to lessen the divisions in the Supreme Court so we have far fewer 5-4 decisions and so that public confidence in our judiciary and our highest court is restored," Collins said, before delivering the final line of her about 45-minute floor speech: "Mr. President, I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh."

Collins became the 50th Republican to support Kavanaugh, meaning that, if necessary, Vice President Mike Pence could break the tie in his favor in tomorrow's final vote. (Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is expected to be the lone Republican to vote against Kavanaugh). Immediately following Collins' speech, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia said in a statement that he would vote "yes" as well.

Collins' "yes" effectively ends a process that began in early July , when President Donald Trump announced that Kavanaugh was his pick to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh's confirmation seemed to be on a glide path until two weeks ago, when a woman named Christine Blasey Ford came forward alleging that the judge had sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers.

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