Maine Governor Janet Mills Enters Crowded Senate Race, Pledges Single Term
Maine Governor Janet Mills declared her 2026 U.S. Senate bid against Susan Collins, pledging a single term. She joins a crowded Democratic primary including popular candidate Graham Platner and others.
David Hogg endorses Janet Mills challenger in Maine Senate race
Washington Examiner
Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters Senate race against Susan Collins
New York Daily News
Janet Mills challenges Susan Collins for Senate seat, boosting Dem hopes
Washington Examiner
Overview
- Maine Governor Janet Mills officially announced her candidacy for the 2026 U.S. Senate, seeking to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins for a crucial Democratic seat.
- Mills, term-limited as governor, has committed to serving only one term if elected to the Senate, focusing her campaign on healthcare and advocating for Maine residents.
- Her campaign criticizes Senator Collins' record on tax breaks, spending cuts, and Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation, leveraging Mills' past legal battles against President Trump.
- Despite Mills' entry, other liberal candidates, including Graham Platner, Jordan Wood, Dan Kleban, Carmen Calabrese, and Natasha Alcala, are committed to staying in the competitive Democratic primary.
- Candidate Graham Platner continues to attract significant support and endorsements from youth organizations, campaigning on a message of generational change within the crowded race.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover Janet Mills's Senate campaign launch neutrally, presenting her motivations, past political actions, and the challenges she faces. They balance her stated reasons for running, such as confronting Trump and Collins, with the historical difficulty of unseating Senator Collins and the emerging primary contest, including generational debates within the Democratic party.
"Mills argued, however, that Collins has forgotten her principles and “let bullies like Trump have their way.”"
USA TODAY"Mills says she's running to help mount a broader resistance to Trump, who she complained has cut food and health care aid for children and low-income Americans in the enormous tax breaks and spending cuts bill enacted in July."
ABC News"Mills, who will be 78 in December, said she looked forward to the primary and is eager to contrast her accomplishments as governor against the other candidates."
NPR"With Mills' entry into the race on Tuesday, Democrats in Maine may be on a collision course over those national concerns already rippling through other contests where the party's future direction could be at stake."
CBS News"Mills believes she is the best candidate to take on Trump and Collins."
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FAQ
The 2026 Senate race in Maine is crucial for the Democrats because Senator Susan Collins is the only Republican senator up for re-election in a state that Democrats carried in the presidential election; defeating Collins is essential for Democrats to have a chance to regain the Senate majority.
Janet Mills is focusing her campaign on healthcare and Maine residents’ needs while criticizing Susan Collins for supporting tax breaks for corporations, spending cuts, and Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation; she also highlights her legal battles against President Trump, contrasting with Collins’ record.
Other notable candidates in the Democratic primary include Graham Platner, Jordan Wood, Dan Kleban, Carmen Calabrese, and Natasha Alcala, with Platner receiving significant endorsements, especially from youth organizations and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Janet Mills has pledged to serve only one term in the U.S. Senate if elected in 2026.
Susan Collins was re-elected in 2020 by more than eight points despite trailing in polls during a very expensive and competitive race; this history makes the 2026 race a significant contest as Democrats see an opportunity but recognize Collins' past strength.
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