Sen. Collins Discloses Longtime Essential Tremor
Sen. Susan Collins said she has had a benign essential tremor during her nearly 30-year Senate career and says it does not affect her duties as she seeks re-election.
Daily BeastGOP Senator’s Health Reveal Proves Trump, 79, Can’t Hide Much Longer
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NBC NewsSen. Susan Collins reveals ‘benign’ tremor, says it hasn’t affected her job or how she feels
Fortune73-year-old Susan Collins has been a senator for decades. She only just disclosed a benign essential tremor | Fortune
Overview
Sen. Susan Collins said on May 6 she has had a benign essential tremor throughout her nearly 30-year Senate career and that it does not affect her ability to do her job.
Her disclosure followed scrutiny of her health after campaign videos and comes as she is running for a sixth Senate term in a competitive race.
Maine Democrat Graham Platner, 41, is expected to be the Democratic nominee after Gov. Janet Mills dropped out, and Platner has publicly discussed his own health and a 100% VA disability rating.
Her office said she has never missed a vote and highlighted a streak of nearly 10,000 consecutive votes, which it said is the second-longest in Senate history.
Medical experts say essential tremor is common, can worsen slowly, differs from Parkinson's, and treatments range from medications to surgical options that can cut tremor 70% to 90%.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources report this story straightforwardly, prioritizing Collins’s disclosure, medical context and electoral relevance. They quote Collins and connect to NIH definitions of essential tremor, note competing scrutiny about candidates’ ages, and include opponent context without emotive language. Coverage emphasizes facts over judgment and includes relevant viewpoints.