NASHUA – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, already faced a tough re-election fight this year, but Democrats will want to make it even more difficult for New England’s lone Republican after her Wednesday votes helped acquit President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment.

Every senator in New England – including U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. – voted along party lines in Wednesday’s impeachment votes.

In the Republican-controlled Senate as a whole, only former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is now a Republican senator from Utah, crossed party lines for one of the votes. On the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, the vote was 52-48 favoring acquittal. The second, obstruction of Congress, produced a not guilty verdict, 53-47.

“The House managers presented an overwhelming case on both articles of impeachment: President Trump went to great lengths to both solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election in a way that would benefit him politically and obstruct the House investigation into his conduct. The president’s actions were illegal as determined by the Government Accountability Office and moreover, a threat to our national security interests,” Shaheen asserted regarding her votes to convict the president on both articles. “Not only did the president’s counsel fail to rebut the overwhelming evidence, they argued that a president cannot be impeached for any abuse of power – a claim that has very dangerous implications for our constitutional system.”

Shaheen, who faces re-election this year, said she hopes senators can get back to work.

“I would greatly prefer that the Congress be engaged in the critical bipartisan work needed on important issues that can improve lives across the nation and move our country forward,” she said.

Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Hassan said she wanted to protect the nation from the “whims of a ruler.”

“I will vote in favor of both articles of impeachment because the president’s conduct requires it, Congress’s responsibility as a coequal branch of government requires it, and the very foundation and security of our American idea requires it,” Hassan said.

As for Collins, she likely faced a challenging re-election effort before the vote, but Democrats may commit even more resources to use against her after the acquittal vote.

“It has been 230 years since George Washington first took the oath of office, and there are good reasons why during that entire time the Senate has never removed a president,” Collins said upon making her decision to vote against impeachment. “Such a move would not only affect the sitting president, but could have unpredictable and potentially adverse consequences for public confidence in our electoral process.”

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., meanwhile, expressed disappointment in the Senate action after she supported impeachment in the House of Representatives.

“Senate Republicans denied the American people the fair trial they deserve. This will be the only impeachment trial in American history to not include witnesses,” Kuster said. ” After turning away from the truth and refusing to hear from witnesses or review additional evidence, the Senate has concluded the impeachment trial of President Trump.”