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Collins mum on Supreme Court nomination in wake of RBG death

Both Independent Sen. Angus King and Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine say there should be no successor until after the election.

MAINE, USA — Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is calling the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “one of the most prominent legal luminaries of our time.” But she isn’t addressing whether the nomination for her successor should happen now, or after the election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'll call for a vote on President Donald Trump's nominee, and Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he and the Republican Party, who hold a Senate Majority, have an obligation to select a new justice "without delay!"  

Both Independent Sen. Angus King and Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine say there should be no successor until after the election. 

King said, "With less than fifty days until the upcoming election – and with an anxious, divided America watching – Senator McConnell should honor the life and legacy of this icon by respecting her final wish that a successor should not be considered until the election has been decided."

RELATED: Trump to Senate: Vote 'without delay' on his high court pick

Collins was a crucial swing vote in appointing Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, ultimately voting to confirm him into the Supreme Court. Collins faced renewed criticism for her vote earlier this year after Kavanaugh dissented in a Louisiana abortion case.

Collins is again among senators to watch if the President's nominee does go to a vote on the Senate floor before the election, as McConnell and Trump have said. The others are Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, and others. These senators were also considered swing votes in Trump's impeachment trials. 

Among those on Trump's current list to fill the seat: Sens. Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, former Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Chicago, long a favorite of conservatives.

Ginsburg died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87. 

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