Maine Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, citing a lack of financial resources. The move clears the path for progressive challenger Graham Platner to face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the fall general election. National Democrats had backed Mills as their preferred candidate to unseat Collins.
Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills announced the suspension of her U.S. Senate campaign on Thursday morning, stating she lacked the funds to continue despite her commitment. “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. Her campaign had $1 million in the bank at the end of March, compared to Platner's $2.7 million, and stopped running TV ads in mid-April, as reported by NPR and POLITICO. Mills entered the race in mid-October, too late to overcome Platner's early lead in fundraising and polls, according to Maine Public's Steve Mistler on NPR. Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran with three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, has held over 60 town halls addressing past controversies, including old Reddit posts and a now-covered tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol. He apologized for the remarks, attributing some to post-traumatic stress, and maintained a double-digit polling lead over Mills, per RealClearPolling aggregates cited in sources. Platner praised Mills at a Thursday press conference in Augusta, saying, “We both got into this race because we knew how critical it is to defeat Susan Collins, and her decision today reflects a commitment to that project.” The development is a setback for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who recruited Mills. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stated, “After years of allowing Trump’s abuses of power, Senator Collins has never been more vulnerable and we will work with the presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner to defeat her.” Republicans welcomed the news, with NRSC Chair Senator Tim Scott saying, “Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats just coronated a phony who is too extreme for Maine.” A super PAC backing Collins spent $2 million on ads attacking Platner this week. The Maine Senate race remains competitive ahead of the June primary and fall general election, pitting Platner against Collins, a five-term incumbent who has won statewide despite past challenges.
