Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Friday became the third GOP senator to announce she will vote to confirm Elena Kagan.

"Having analyzed her record, questioned her personally, and reviewed the Judiciary Committee's hearings, I have concluded that Ms. Kagan should be confirmed to our nation's highest court," Collins said in the statement.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., have also announced support for Kagan's confirmation, which appears assured in a vote expected in the first week of August.

"In previous posts, Ms. Kagan has taken positions that I oppose," Collins said. "It appears that her personal opinion on gun rights is at odds with my own views. Nonetheless, Ms. Kagan indicated in her testimony before the Judiciary Committee that she would follow the precedent established in the Heller and McDonald cases, describing those decisions as 'settled law.' These cases clearly establish that the right to bear arms is an individual right guaranteed by the Constitution."