Janet Mills suspends Maine Senate campaign, leaving Graham Platner to take on Susan Collins

Sun, 03 May 2026 12:07:00 +0200

Maine Governor Janet Mills has suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate, effectively ending her bid to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins in the 2026 race. In a statement, Mills cited a lack of adequate financial resources as the main reason for stepping aside, noting that her campaign had only about 1 million dollars in the bank at the end of March, significantly less than her Democratic primary opponent, oyster farmer Graham Platner, who reported around 2.7 million dollars. Mills’ exit comes just weeks before the June 9 Democratic primary and marks a major setback for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had recruited Mills as the establishment favorite to challenge Collins.

Platner, a progressive newcomer with limited name recognition a year ago, quickly outraised Mills and stopped airing television ads, signaling financial strain. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have now pledged to support Platner, framing Collins as vulnerable after years of backing President D