A well-known national progressive organization has come out for a fundraising campaign to back the new Democratic challenger of Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Democracy for America (DFA) specifically is fundraising for Maine Democrat Betsy Sweet as a means to target Collins for Collins’ crucial vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Sweet, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, announced her candidacy for US Senate late last week.

“Remember when so-called ‘moderate’ Senator Susan Collins betrayed women everywhere and cast the deciding vote to confirm Brett Kavanuagh to the Supreme Court?” asked Yvette Simpson, chief executive of DFA, which grew out of former Vermont governor Howard Dean’s 2004 bid for president.

“I’ll personally never forget how I and millions of other women felt that day: infuriated, devastated, and terrified over what this reckless, immoral decision meant for our country, our lives, and our freedom,” Simpson added.

Collins provided the crucial vote to confirm Kavanaugh, after delivering a speech from the Senate floor defending Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh faced credible allegations of sexual assault. The pro-choice Collins also assured Americans that Kavanaugh would not overturn Roe v Wade.

“Confirming a man accused of sexual assault to the highest bench in the nation is a stain on our history and on Collins’ Senate career,” Simpson wrote in an email to supporters. “When I finally moved past the emotions I felt above, one single thought stuck in my mind: we need to defeat Susan Collins in 2020.

“Today, Democrat Betsy Sweet announced her campaign to take on Collins for this Senate seat in Maine, and I’m letting you know right now that Democracy for America has her back in this critical fight, starting on Day One,” Simpson added in boldface, in her email sent several days ago.

Her vote for Kavanaugh could make Collins vulnerable when she is up for re-election next year. While Maine has been something of a “purple” state, it also lately has been trending more Democratic.

Flipping Collins’s seat will be critical if Democrats want to retake the Senate majority after the 2020 elections.

“No doubt, this will be an uphill battle. Collins is a long-time incumbent, and she’s got the power of the GOP establishment and dark money groups backing her up,” Simpson said. “But Betsy has us, and the power of more than one million grassroots members like you to help her do the unthinkable.”