Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Tuesday that she’s running for U.S. Senate—setting her sights directly on longtime GOP incumbent Susan Collins. It’s a seismic moment for Democrats, who have long wanted a strong challenger in a state that leans blue but keeps sending Collins back to Washington.
Mills, a two-term governor with a clear record of electoral success—winning by 7 and 13 points in her last two races—isn’t mincing words about why she’s jumping into the race.
“Honestly, if this president and this Congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn’t be running for the U.S. Senate,” Mills says in her launch video. “But when Trump rips away health care from millions of Americans and drives up costs on everything from groceries to housing to trucks and cars, then turns around and gives corporate CEOs a massive tax cut, and Susan Collins helps him do it? After she helped him overturn Roe v. Wade?”
That line alone signals this won’t be a gentle campaign.
The video opens with Mills squaring off against Donald Trump at the White House—specifically the moment in 2020 when Trump threatened to yank federal funding from Maine over the state’s support for transgender youth in sports. “You know, my father was a seventh-generation Mainer who stood up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves,” she says. “And when I was little, he told me, ‘You can’t let bullies have their way or they’ll never stop.’”
The ad ends with a direct shot at her opponent: “I won’t sit idly by while Maine people suffer and politicians like Susan Collins bend the knee as if this were normal.”
If elected, Mills would become the oldest freshman senator in U.S. history. She’s not hiding from that, instead addressing it head-on in interviews with NBC News and The Boston Globe. “Honestly, I would not plan to serve for more than one term,” Mills said. “But this time is vital, and this moment in our history is urgent and very troublesome. And I believe I’m the most qualified person for the seat, for the campaign, because I have run two statewide elections, and I have the energy and the wherewithal to do it.”
Maine is the oldest state in the country, with an average age of 45. Democrats backing Mills argue that she reflects the voters she’s hoping to represent—and that her high-profile dust-up with Trump proves she’s got the grit for the job.
But before Mills can take on Collins, she’ll have to get through a primary—and it’s no longer a sleepy affair.
Enter Graham Platner: an oyster farmer turned Senate hopeful with a viral launch video, $4 million in early grassroots fundraising, and the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Platner may not be a household name, but he’s gaining traction fast. His support is especially strong among younger Democrats, a group that’s increasingly vocal about the direction of the party after what many viewed as a disastrous 2024 cycle.
“After our historic loss in the 2024 election, conversations within the Democratic Party have rightly centered on age, the loss of young men, the working class, and the growing disillusionment of young voters,” said David Hogg, founder of youth-led PAC Leaders We Deserve, which endorsed Platner. “As our party charts a path forward, Graham Platner represents not the entire solution, but a vital step in the right direction.”
Platner sits clearly to the left of Mills, who has carved out a moderate lane for years. But it’s not all black and white. Platner, for instance, has signaled support for gun rights—putting him in rare alignment with Mills on an issue where many Democrats are more rigid.
Still, the fact that national Republicans tried to scare Mills off early says a lot about where they think the threat is coming from. GOP operatives reportedly attempted to revive a decades-old accusation from the 1990s that Mills used cocaine—something she’s always maintained was a politically motivated smear.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee wasted no time painting a picture of Democratic chaos.
“Maine Democrats are locked in a bruising fight between Chuck Schumer’s out-of-touch establishment and Bernie Sanders’ far-left radicals,” said NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez. “No matter which Democrat emerges, we’re confident Mainers will continue to trust independent problem solver Susan Collins to keep delivering for them.”
But Collins has looked increasingly vulnerable over the years. Despite her reputation for moderation, her role in confirming Trump’s Supreme Court nominees—and ultimately helping overturn Roe v. Wade—has damaged her standing with key voting blocs. And though she’s known as a powerhouse fundraiser, Collins’ approval ratings have been in the gutter more often than not.
Now Mills is betting that the political winds have shifted for good—and that after decades in Washington, it’s finally time for Collins to go.
It’s game on.
