Mitt Romney comes out of the Cold to do a Fund Raiser for Maine’s Republican Senator Susan Collins….

During remarks at the fundraiser, Romney — the former Massachusetts governor — said he knew how hard it is to be a New England Republican, and he praised Collins as a dying breed, according to one attendee granted anonymity to describe the private event.

Spokespeople for Collins and Romney did not respond to requests for comment.

Romney and Collins are both old-line establishment Republicans with an independent streak, willing to buck party and Trump on occasion. They were members of a bipartisan group of senators during the Biden administration that worked on an infrastructure bill, a COVID-19 relief package and gun safety legislation, among other things. Both were among the seven Republican senators who voted to impeach the president after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot….

…

Collins faces a tough general election against presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who has an inside track to the party nomination after former Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out last month. The campaign is shaping up to be one of the most expensive of the cycle, and Collins retains a cash-on-hand advantage over Platner, according to the most recent filings….

More…

image…Mitt Romney (left) and Susan Collins (right) depart a roll call vote at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2022. | Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty