Particle.news
Download on the App Store
44 ARTICLES
·
5h ago

Maine Gov. Janet Mills Enters Senate Race to Challenge Susan Collins

Her launch makes her the establishment frontrunner in a crowded Democratic primary with national stakes for Senate control.

FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Senator Susan Collins leaves the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on July 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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

Overview

  • Mills unveiled an announcement video centered on her clash with President Trump over transgender-athlete policy and a federal court order that restored funding to Maine.
  • National Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, recruited Mills as a top pickup prospect for the party in New England.
  • She joins a primary that includes Bernie Sanders–endorsed Graham Platner, along with Jordan Wood and Dan Kleban, following a briefly posted and deleted launch video and ActBlue link last week.
  • At 77, Mills would be 79 at swearing-in and the oldest incoming senator in U.S. history, and she has said she would serve only one term if elected.
  • Collins has said she intends to run for a sixth term but has not formally filed, and the race is drawing heavy national attention with handicappers currently rating it Tilt Republican.