Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday that she is suspending her campaign for the Senate, citing a lack of financial resources and clearing the way for military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic primary ahead of a general election against GOP Sen. Susan Collins.
“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources," Mills said in a statement.
"That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate," she said.
Senate Democrats had touted Mills as a top recruit to take on Collins, who is the only Republican senator representing a state that President Donald Trump lost last year. Maine is practically a must-win if Democrats are to net the four seats they need to take control of the chamber in the 2026 midterm election. But Collins has proven a tough opponent in previous elections.
After launching her Senate campaign in October, Mills struggled to gain traction against Platner, who burst onto the scene as a brash political newcomer and quickly built a loyal following. Platner notched endorsements from high-profile progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Most importantly, he built major support among Maine Democrats, leading by double digits in recent polls of the primary. Platner’s rise — and the governor's struggles — came despite top Democrats' preference for Mills, turning this campaign into a rare rebuke of party leaders in a top-tier race.
Mills was backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who viewed her as the party’s best general election candidate.
Schumer and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., did not reference Platner in a joint statement on Mills' departure from the race.
“Our North Star is winning a Democratic Senate majority, and over the past year, Senate Democrats have carved out multiple paths to do that," they said. "We have recruited strong candidates who have expanded the map, a winning message focused on fighting for hardworking families, and formidable campaigns working every day to hold Republicans accountable. In 2026, Democrats will win a Senate majority.”
Mills, 78, sought to quell concerns about her age by pledging to only serve one term in the Senate. But some Democratic voters were still concerned about her age and viewed Platner as the candidate with the best chance at beating Collins, 73, despite a slew of controversial social media posts from his past that generated headlines in recent months.
Mills had argued those posts would make Platner vulnerable to GOP attacks in November. Platner was a prolific commenter on Reddit, making statements downplaying sexual assault, criticizing police and rural Americans. An Army and Marine veteran, Platner attributed the posts to his struggles with post-traumatic stress after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the controversies strengthened his campaign.
Mills highlighted Platner's comments downplaying sexual assault in her first ads attacking him, with her allies suggesting the comments would turn off female voters, who have been a key part of Collins' coalition.
But Mills' campaign largely stopped airing TV ads at the end of March, according to AdImpact, in one potential outward sign of its struggle with resources. Platner continued to blanket the airwaves and recently began to train his attention on Collins, suggesting he was pivoting to the general election.
Republicans have already begun to attack Platner, as he pulled ahead in the primary. The GOP super PAC Pine Tree Results PAC launched an ad Monday highlighting those controversial social media posts and Platner having a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol. Platner has said he was not aware of the Nazi connection and has since covered up the tattoo.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement: "Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats just coronated a phony who is too extreme for Maine. Susan Collins has always put in the work for her constituents and delivered. Washington Democrats always fall short in Maine and will again, because they just nominated a dishonest radical."
In a statement later Thursday morning, Platner said: "Janet Mills has dedicated her career to this beautiful state. We are all eternally grateful for her service. ... We both got into this race because we know how critical defeating Susan Collins is. And her decision today reflects that commitment. I look forward to working with her between now and November to do just that."
In a recent interview in Maine, before she dropped out of the primary, NBC News asked Mills whether she would endorse Platner in the general election if he won the Democratic nomination.
"I’ve always been a Democrat," Mills said. "I’ve always supported the Democratic candidate."
Collins told reporters at the U.S. Capitol: “I’m sure this was a very difficult decision for Gov. Mills. And I wish her well. She has devoted her life to public service in the state of Maine, in many different capacities. She has served the people of our state, and I’m sure this was a hard decision for her.”
Asked whether she thought Platner would be an easier opponent, Collins said, “I’m not going to get into the November election at this point.”
