Maine Gov. Janet Mills has suspended her Senate campaign, citing a lack of funds and clearing the path for military veteran Graham Platner to win the Democratic nomination. Mills, 78, was the establishment choice but trailed the 41-year-old Platner in polls. Platner now faces incumbent Republican Susan Collins in a critical race for Democrats' hopes of controlling the Senate, a contest expected to be one of the nation's most expensive.
Mills campaign withdrawal
- ▪In a joint statement, Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand promised to support Graham Platner's campaign against Susan Collins
- ▪Mills's withdrawal makes Graham Platner the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins
- ▪At the end of March 2026, Mills's campaign had just over $1 million in the bank, while Graham Platner's had $2.7 million
- ▪Mills's campaign had been recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and was backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- ▪Following the announcement, Sen. Susan Collins thanked Gov. Mills for her decades of public service to Maine
- ▪Mills stated that she was dropping out because her campaign lacked the necessary financial resources
- ▪Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced on April 30, 2026, that she was suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate
Mills age concerns
- ▪At 78, Janet Mills's age was a concern for some Democratic voters, with her opponent Graham Platner being 41
- ▪If elected, Mills would have been 79 when sworn in, which would have made her the oldest first-time senator in U.S. history
- ▪Mills had pledged to serve only one term in the Senate, in an effort to quell concerns about her age
Platner working-class appeal
- ▪Platner's campaign was noted for its grassroots energy, holding numerous town halls and connecting personally with voters
- ▪Platner received endorsements from prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren
- ▪A March 2026 Emerson College poll showed Platner leading Mills by 27 points in the Democratic primary
- ▪Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and veteran of the Army and Marine Corps, was a political newcomer
Platner tattoo controversy
- ▪Graham Platner faced controversy for an old tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he later covered up
Anti-establishment sentiment in Maine
- ▪Some Maine Democratic voters expressed resentment at national party leaders like Chuck Schumer attempting to "anoint" a candidate for them
Collins reelection strengths
- ▪The Maine Senate seat is a top target for Democrats, as Susan Collins is the only Republican senator from a state won by the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024
- ▪As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has directed large amounts of federal funding to projects in Maine
- ▪At age 73, Susan Collins has indicated that the 2026 race will be her final campaign for the Senate
- ▪In the 2020 election, Susan Collins won reelection by 9 percentage points despite polls showing her trailing her Democratic opponent
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