GOP US Sen. Collins won't run for Maine governor
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ROCKPORT, Maine -- Republican Susan Collins says she's staying out of the governor's race because she believes she can do more good for Maine by staying in the U.S. Senate.
The 64-year-old Collins has been weighing for months whether she'd make a bigger impact in the Senate or by launching a bid to become the first woman to serve as Maine's governor.
Collins is one of a handful of GOP centrists and decided she's needed in Washington.
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Her decision Friday will likely free more gubernatorial candidates who have been waiting on the sidelines to enter the race.
Two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage cannot run again because of term limits.
Like President Donald Trump, LePage has been a polarizing leader. Collins said previously that she'd like to heal the state and "bring people back together."