Overview

• Maine Gov. Janet Mills is expected to announce her U.S. Senate bid on Tuesday after her campaign briefly posted and deleted an announcement video and ActBlue link.
• A Zenith Research poll for More Perfect Union of 500 likely voters shows Graham Platner leading Susan Collins by 14 points and Mills leading by 8 points.
• The same polling cited lower approval for Collins than for Mills, though the survey was partisan-commissioned and limited in sample size.
• Mills’ entry sets up a contested Democratic primary featuring Platner, Jordan Wood and Dan Kleban, with national figures split as Bernie Sanders backs Platner and party leaders recruit Mills.
• Collins, first elected in 1996 and seeking a sixth term, won with 51 percent in 2020, and observers note her seniority and appropriations post could bolster her case with voters.