Maine Governor Janet Mills Remains on Senate Ballot

Governor Janet Mills of Maine announced on Monday that she still intends to be on the ballot for the U.S. Senate race, despite having suspended her campaign a few weeks back.

Back in April, Mills halted her campaign due to financial challenges, yet she emphasized that “the fight continues.” In a message shared on X, she clarified, “People have the impression that I have withdrawn or dropped out, but I have simply stopped active campaigning. I am still voting.”

“I have the drive and the passion, the dedication and the experience, and most of all, the fight to continue,” she noted during her April announcement. “But unfortunately, I don’t have one thing that political campaigns need today: financial resources. That’s why I made the incredibly difficult decision to end my campaign for the United States Senate.”

Her re-entry into the race follows controversy surrounding another Democratic contender, oyster farmer Graham Platner, who faced backlash for alleged inappropriate messaging while married, with support from independent Senator Bernie Sanders.

Mills, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, will remain on the ballot because she did not complete the necessary paperwork to withdraw her name for Maine Secretary of State. She has drawn notable scrutiny as governor for her decisions regarding healthcare and immigration policies, particularly her choice not to veto legislation aimed at expanding taxpayer-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants.