Republican Maine Senator Susan Collins is facing backlash after a canvasser working for a pro-Collins group was caught on camera allegedly stealing a package from the front of a home.
With the election approaching, political campaigns and supporting groups often send canvassers into local communities to speak directly with voters. They may visit homes, provide information, and encourage residents to support a particular candidate at the polls. In this case, the canvasser was reportedly working for Stronger Maine, an independent group supporting Senator Susan Collins’ reelection, rather than Collins’ campaign itself.
A video of the incident was shared online by a resident who wrote, “Susan Collins Canvasser steals package off doorstep.” The footage showed the male canvasser approaching the front door and knocking. He then appeared to wait for someone inside the home to respond while looking at his phone.
As the canvasser stood at the door, he appeared to notice a package left on the porch. He then looked around, seemingly checking whether anyone was watching, before grabbing the package and running away with it. The incident prompted the citizen who shared the video to add, “Susan Collins: stealing your packages AND your healthcare.”
The reference to “stealing your healthcare” appears to relate to criticism of Collins’ record on Medicaid. In June 2025, Collins voted to advance H.R. 1, a reconciliation bill that included significant changes to Medicaid, although she later voted against its final passage. Collins said at the time that the bill’s Medicaid provisions would harm low-income families and rural healthcare providers.
Critics have nevertheless pointed to her earlier vote and other votes during the legislation’s consideration when arguing that she supported measures that could reduce access to healthcare. For example, Collins voted against an amendment that sought to remove a provision limiting certain Medicaid payments. Collins disputed this characterization, saying she opposed the bill because of its impact on Medicaid and warning that the changes could threaten healthcare access for Mainers.
The behavior of a canvasser can still affect how voters perceive the candidate they’re supporting, particularly when they’re knocking on doors and speaking to residents on that candidate’s behalf. In this case, the alleged theft has drawn unwanted attention to Collins because the canvasser was working for an independent group supporting her reelection. While his alleged actions have no established connection to Collins or her campaign, that distinction hasn’t stopped some people online from associating the incident with the senator.
Viewers Slam Republican Maine Senator Over Canvasser Behavior
Many viewers began criticizing Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins over the canvasser’s behavior, with some commenters connecting his actions to their views of Collins herself. “That adds up,” one person wrote. Another person said, “This should be an ad on Tubi.” Someone else added, “Just make this the dem ad.”
More people criticized Collins, the canvasser, and Republicans more broadly. “Most normal republican activities,” one person wrote. Another person joked, “A True Republican. He’s pretending that package is oil and the house is Venezuela.”
Ultimately, the video showed how quickly the alleged actions of someone canvassing for an independent political group can become associated with the candidate that group supports. While there is no indication Collins or her campaign had any connection to the alleged theft, that distinction didn’t stop some of her critics from using the bizarre incident as another reason to take aim at the Maine senator.
