Senator Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican seeking re-election in one of the most hotly contested races in the nation, disclosed in an interview published Wednesday that she had long had what she called a benign essential tremor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have had it for the entire time that I have served in the United States Senate,\u201d Ms. Collins, 73, told News Center Maine<\/a>, a local outlet. \u201cIt has absolutely no impact on my ability to do my job or on how I feel each day.\u201d<\/p>\n Her remarks came amid mounting online scrutiny<\/a> \u2014 pushed in particular on the left \u2014 of the shakiness that is often detectable when Ms. Collins speaks, and questions about whether it has worsened with time.<\/p>\n In a statement, Ms. Collins said it was something she had \u201clived with for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe tremor is occasionally inconvenient, and sometimes the subject of cruel comments online, but it does not hinder my ability to work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ms. Collins is expected to face off against Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Democratic oysterman and political newcomer, in a general election that could decide control of the Senate.<\/p>\n Debates over age and fitness have taken on new potency in American politics after former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was pressured into abandoning his re-election bid over concerns about his ability to serve into his 80s. President Trump, for his part, turns 80 next month and has also shown signs of aging<\/a>, and in both parties there has been evidence of frustration with the gerontocracy.<\/p>\n While the Democratic primary race has not yet been held officially, Mr. Platner effectively pushed his chief rival, Gov. Janet Mills, 78, out of the race<\/a>. He rode a wave of anti-establishment fervor and demands for a new generation of leadership into a dominant position in the primary contest.<\/p>\n