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Janet Mills Launches 2026 Maine Senate Bid to Challenge Susan Collins

Her bid sets up a high-profile primary test against progressive newcomer Graham Platner.

Overview

  • Mills, 77, unveiled her campaign with a video highlighting her confrontation with President Trump over federal funding tied to transgender sports policy.
  • Senate leaders recruited Mills for the race, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball moved Maine’s contest to Toss-up after her launch.
  • Her entry intensifies a Democratic primary against Graham Platner, who is endorsed by Bernie Sanders and has raised more than $3 million.
  • Mills told the Boston Globe she would serve only a single six-year term if elected, underscoring an age and generational debate within the party.
  • Collins, a five-term incumbent and Appropriations chair who says she intends to run again, is seen as formidable in what Democrats regard as a prime pickup opportunity.