Maine Gov. Janet Mills has officially entered the race for the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for one of the most watched contests of the 2026 election cycle.
The two-term Democratic governor announced her candidacy on Tuesday, declaring her intent to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in what could be a defining battle for control of the Senate.
The 77-year-old governor’s entry is considered a major win for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had reportedly been urging Mills to run. Democrats see her as their strongest shot at flipping the Maine seat blue – a key move if they hope to reclaim the Senate majority.
A Battle-Tested Candidate
In her campaign launch statement, Mills declared, “I’ve never backed down from a bully and I never will.” She directly attacked both Donald Trump and Susan Collins, accusing them of “ripping away health care, driving up costs, and cutting taxes for corporate CEOs.”
Her campaign video revisited a fiery exchange from a February White House meeting, where Trump confronted Mills over her defiance of his executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. When Trump threatened to cut federal funding, Mills replied, “We’ll see you in court.”
Mills’ political career is steeped in firsts – she served as Maine’s first female attorney general before becoming the state’s first female governor in 2018. She went on to defeat former Republican Gov. Paul LePage by double digits in her 2022 re-election, cementing her position as a resilient political force in Maine.
A Crowded Democratic Primary
Before Mills can take on Collins, she’ll have to survive a heated Democratic primary. Her most notable challenger is Graham Platner, a 41-year-old U.S. Marine and Army veteran turned oyster farmer, who entered the race in August. Platner raised more than $3 million in his first six weeks and is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who praised him as “a great working-class candidate for Senate in Maine.”
Sanders’ endorsement signals a brewing establishment-versus-progressive clash within the party. The progressive leader recently rallied for Platner in Maine, warning Democrats not to underestimate the power of grassroots movements.
Other Democrats in the race include Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Co., and Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who also reported raising roughly $3 million last quarter.
Independent and GOP Opposition
Adding to the mix, Phil Rench, a former senior engineer for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is running as an independent, potentially drawing votes from both sides.
Republicans, meanwhile, are confident in Collins’ chances. The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s communications director, Joanna Rodriguez, issued a sharp statement calling Mills “the oldest freshman Senator in American history” and accused her of turning Maine into “one of the weakest economies in New England.”
Rodriguez added that Mainers “will continue to trust independent problem solver Susan Collins to keep delivering for them.”
Collins’ Track Record
The 72-year-old Susan Collins remains one of the Senate’s most enduring figures. First elected in 1996, she currently chairs the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins has consistently won re-election by double-digit margins in 2002, 2008, and 2014.
Even in 2020 – during one of the most expensive Senate races in Maine’s history – Collins defied polling that showed her trailing Democrat Sara Gideon, ultimately winning by more than eight points.
What’s Next for Democrats
Mills’ entry makes her the third major Senate recruit for Democrats this year, following former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Her name recognition and experience may give her an early edge, but with a divided Democratic base and a seasoned opponent in Collins, the road ahead promises to be anything but easy.
- Dolly’s Locations in Cincinnati and Dayton Closing Early Ahead of Final Day - October 24, 2025
- National Guard Deployment to San Francisco Put on Hold After Trump Talks With Tech Leaders - October 24, 2025
- Mayor Eric Adams Backs Andrew Cuomo to Halt Zohran Mamdani’s Rise in NYC Race - October 24, 2025
