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6d ago

Maine Gov. Janet Mills Ends Senate Bid, Setting Up Platner vs. Collins

Party leaders who had recruited Mills now pledge to back Platner against Collins in a contest seen as central to Senate control.

Maine Governor Janet Mills gestures while speaking during a meeting of northeastern U.S. Governors and Canadian Premiers to discuss the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and how American and Canadian leaders can continue to work together to maintain economic relations that benefit local businesses and residents, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Sophie Park/File Photo
FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, greets lawmakers prior to delivering her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, FIle)
Janet Mills, governor of Maine and Democratic US Senate candidate, during a roundtable discussion with community leaders in Westbrook, Maine, US, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. The Maine race is a must-win for Democrats, who need a net gain of four seats in November's midterm elections to claim a Senate majority and see an opportunity to oust Republican Susan Collins from a seat she's held for nearly 30 years. Photographer: Sofia Aldinio/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced on April 30 that she was suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Overview

  • Mills suspended her campaign Thursday, citing a lack of funds to continue to the June 9 primary, and said she will keep serving as governor for the rest of her term.
  • Her exit effectively clears the Democratic field for Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine and Army veteran, to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
  • Platner has dominated recent metrics, raising about $4.1 million to Mills’ $2.7 million in the first quarter and leading her by wide margins in public polls, with some surveys showing him ahead of Collins as well.
  • After Mills bowed out, Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said they will work with Platner, while a pro‑Collins super PAC began a $2 million ad blitz and Republicans labeled him too liberal for Maine.
  • Platner’s past Reddit posts and a chest tattoo critics say resembled Nazi imagery, which he apologized for and later covered, are already central to attacks as both parties plan heavy fall spending in a race viewed as pivotal.