Gov. Janet Mills announced today that she is suspending her campaign for U.S. Senate, ending speculation about the viability of her candidacy as she struggled to gain ground against oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic primary.
Her announcement shakes up a pivotal race that Democrats see as critical to their chances of gaining the majority in the U.S. Senate. Mills was recruited by Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. — who viewed the two-term governor as the best candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November — but she struggled to match or blunt Platner's momentum after he launched his campaign in August last year.
The contest between Mills and Platner also became a proxy battle for generational and governing divisions within the Democratic Party that became more acute after the President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
In a statement, the governor said she doesn't have the financial resources to continue her candidacy.
“Over the past six months, I have had the privilege of campaigning across Maine and doing what I love most: meeting with Maine people. I am grateful beyond words for the outpouring of love and support I have received from folks in every corner of the state, from Madawaska to Kittery, from Rangeley to Eastport," Mills said. “I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources."
She added, "I step back from campaigning with unending love, admiration, and hope for Maine people — a people whose hearts are filled with love and whose integrity and humility is surpassed only by their kindness, generosity, and compassion."
Platner, in a statement, praised Mills' political career and said her decision to drop out of the race reflects their shared commitment to defeat Collins in November.
"This race have never been about me or any one person," he said. "It's about a movement of working Mainers who are fed up with being robbed by billionaires and the politicians they own, and are taking back their power."
Collins issued a brief statement reacting to Mills' withdrawal, saying, "I'm sure this was a difficult decision for Governor Mills, and I thank her for her decades of service to the people of Maine."
Mills' announcement follows widespread speculation about the viability of her campaign, which had lagged behind Platner in polls and fundraising. She stopped running television ads April 10.
Platner has already pivoted to the general election, where he hopes to topple Collins.
Platner will still have to defeat David Costello in the Democratic primary on June 9, but the oyster farmer has a significant lead in that head-to-head matchup as well.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee quickly announced that it will support Platner's candidacy, meaning the insurgent won't attempt to tackle the massive Republican operation working to reelect Collins on his own.
In a statement, Schumer and DSCC chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand praised Mills' achievements and vowed to work with Platner to defeat Collins.
The Democratic National Committee also expressed support for Platner on social media, saying, "Maine, let’s send an oyster farmer to the U.S. Senate — and kick out Susan Collins."
Mills has served two terms as Maine's governor and was the first woman elected to the office. She is also the first woman elected as the state attorney general.
She is set to leave office in January because she is term-limited. There are currently five Democrats and seven Republicans in the race to succeed her at the state capitol in Augusta.
Platner, meanwhile, has become something of a political sensation since emerging from obscurity last year. He's drawn large crowds to more than 60 town halls, the lifeblood of his candidacy and a tool to recruit volunteers for the movement he says he's building. Those events, along with television ads and social media presence, have made him seemingly seemingly ubiquitous in a state of 1.4 million people.
His campaign has also proven remarkably resilient. Shortly after Mills got in the race, Platner faced a range of controversies over past social media posts and a tattoo of Nazi iconography that he's since had covered. The Sullivan native responded by granting a range of interviews and resuming his town halls, during which he frequently talked about his old posts as symptoms of the disillusionment he felt after serving combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The controversies did not erode his standing in the polls, even after Mills attempted to highlight them during a brief run of ads attacking him in mid-March.
Since then, the GOP has shifted its attention to Platner, and they are already homing in on the Democrats' social media posts. Earlier this week a super PAC funded by corporate and private equity leaders and created exclusively to help secure Collins' reelection began a $2 million ad campaign highlighting his posts about sexual assault.
It's but a piece of a massive Republican operation to preserve Collins' seat. According to AdImpact, nearly $68 million has been booked in political ads for the general election, 70% of which comes from Republican-aligned groups.
Platner, for his part, began pivoting to his prospective matchup against Collins weeks ago.
In a call with reporters Thursday night, Platner said he's prepared for a "scorched earth" campaign against him.
"Mainers have turned the page on the empty politics of personal attacks. People are sick and tired of this kind of politics. And they're going to be running that kind of campaign against me. They've already begun," he said.
