Joe Lieberman endorses Susan Collins: ‘I’m a lifelong Democrat but I put my country first’

Former Democratic senator and 2000 vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman (Conn.) endorsed Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) in an ad released Wednesday. 

The ad, which was paid for by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), features Lieberman saying Collins “stands up for Maine.” He also labeled Collins as a “fighter for women’s issues.” 

“I’m a lifelong Democrat but I put my country first, always,” Lieberman said at the beginning of the video. “That’s why I’m supporting Susan Collins for Senate.” 

RJC spokesperson Neil Strauss said the group is spending $400,000 to run the ad on digital platforms in an effort to attract female voters in Maine. 

Lieberman has drawn criticism from other Democrats following his support for the Iraq war. He lost the 2006 primary race for his Connecticut seat, though he retained his seat as a third-party candidate. 

The endorsement comes as Collins faces a close election against Democrat Sara Gideon. Gideon is Maine’s state House Speaker and currently leads Collins by almost 5 percentage points in polling data from FiveThirtyEight. 

Collins received backing last month from former President George W. Bush, making it Bush’s first endorsement in the 2020 election cycle.