In the race for the 2026 Senate majority, Washington Democrats welcomed a notable figure as two-term Maine Governor Janet Mills officially announced her candidacy against long-serving Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Mills, a seasoned 77-year-old Democrat, is viewed favorably by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, marking her campaign launch as a significant moment. Key Senate Democrats have urged Mills to enter the race, believing she stands the best chance against Collins, the only Republican senator in Maine seeking re-election next year. Defeating Collins is crucial for Democrats if they hope to reclaim the Senate majority.
However, before reaching the general election, Mills needs to navigate a potentially contentious primary, facing a crowded field, which includes a promising candidate supported by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
“I’ve never backed down from a bully, and I won’t start now,” Mills stated as she pitched her candidacy. She criticized Trump’s policies, asserting he is negatively impacting healthcare and favoring corporate interests, while claiming Collins supports these efforts.
Mills, who formerly served as a district attorney and state legislator, made history by becoming Maine’s first female attorney general and then its first female governor in 2018. She successfully secured re-election in 2022 against Republican Paul LePage.
This announcement comes after Mills’ campaign mistakenly released and then deleted social media content regarding her candidacy last week. Even though she is considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination in Maine, she may face considerable competition from Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Marine veteran and oyster farmer who began his campaign in August.
Platner has already raised over $3 million in his first few weeks and enjoys the backing of Sanders, who recently held a rally in Maine to support him. “Graham Platner is a great working-class candidate,” Sanders commented, emphasizing the importance of winning the seat without incurring unnecessary costs from a divisive primary.
Other candidates vying for the Democratic nomination include Dan Kleban, co-founder of Maine Beer Co., and Jordan Wood, a former congressional aide who raised around $3 million in the last quarter. Phil Wrench, previously an engineer at SpaceX, is running as an independent.
Joanna Rodriguez, from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, criticized Mills’ candidacy, attributing the Democratic Party’s struggles to a clash between its establishment and progressive factions. She remarked on Mills’ ambitions to be the oldest new senator in U.S. history, while pointing out the challenges Maine has faced economically under her leadership. Rodriguez expressed confidence that Mainers would continue to support Collins.
Collins, who is 72 and characterized as a moderate Republican, has held her Senate position since 1996 and currently leads the Senate Appropriations Committee. She has historically won her re-election bids by significant margins, even when facing tough competitors, as seen in her 2020 race against Sarah Gideon.
With Mills now in the mix, she joins former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown as major Democratic candidates this year. Meanwhile, Republicans maintain a narrow control over the Senate with a 53-47 majority.
