(NEWS CENTER Maine) -- In 1994, Susan Collins of Caribou was one of eight candidates running for the Republican nomination for Maine governor. Two years later, she ran for U.S. Senate, won and has been a member of ever since.
Through almost all of the last 25 years, Steve Abbott has been by her side as her chief Of staff. Abbott, whose father Walter was a football coach and athletic director at the University of Maine, has been able to balance the hectic life of Washington, D.C., and the "quiet" life back in Maine.
"Politics is a business where people are in a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week mentality and there's a lot of work I have to do from home," Abbott said. "I will admit that, but I am not willing to make that sacrifice and fortunately, I work for someone who understands those priorities and respects those priorities."
Of the last 25 years together, the last few months were the hardest. The controversy surrounding the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and Sen. Collins' vote on that nomination put her, her staff and her supporters in a position they were not accustomed to.
"What was different this time was that it was just so personal and so much vitriol," Abbott said, "and that was something that we had not experienced at this point. Politics is a rough sport, and we have taken our hits over the years, and that comes with the territory, but this is something we had never experienced."
When asked about her longtime friend, Collins offered this: "Steve has been a trusted adviser, wise counselor, and most of all, a dear friend for the past 25 years. I feel so lucky to have such a talented and wonderful person committed to public service leading my team.”