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3h ago

Maine Gov. Janet Mills Launches Senate Bid to Challenge Susan Collins

Her entry gives Democrats a top-tier recruit in one of their few realistic paths to reclaiming the Senate.

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 announced her campaign with a video centering on her clash with President Trump over threatened federal funding, saying Maine ultimately got the freeze lifted.
  • She enters a crowded Democratic primary that includes Graham Platner, Jordan Wood and Dan Kleban, setting up a contest between establishment experience and insurgent energy.
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Platner and publicly urged Mills not to run, arguing that a divisive primary would waste resources needed to defeat Collins.
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged Mills to run as Democrats target the lone Republican-held seat in a state Kamala Harris carried in 2024, while Collins is expected to seek a sixth term.
  • Mills would be 79 at the start of a Senate term, making her the oldest incoming senator on record, and her team briefly posted and deleted an early launch video and ActBlue page before Tuesday’s formal rollout.