Maine Gov. Janet Mills introduced Thursday morning that she is suspending her U.S. Senate marketing campaign, leaving Graham Platner because the probably Democratic nominee to face off in opposition to incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Mills cited monetary sources as a cause for suspending her marketing campaign.
“Whereas I’ve the drive and keenness, dedication and expertise, and above all else — the combat — to proceed on, I very merely do not need the one factor that political campaigns sadly require right this moment: the monetary sources,” Mills stated in a ready assertion. “That’s the reason right this moment I’ve made the extremely tough choice to droop my marketing campaign for the US Senate.”
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, proper, arrives within the Home Chamber with Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill, earlier than delivering her State of the State handle, Jan. 30, 2024, on the State Home in Augusta, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
The newest Federal Election Fee filings from Q1 present Planter raised roughly $1.4 million greater than Mills and has roughly $1.7 million more money available.
Platner, an oyster farmer and navy veteran, additionally commonly polled considerably greater than Mills.
Mills’ announcement got here simply someday earlier than the Maine Democratic Conference was scheduled to start — and greater than 5 weeks earlier than the state’s June 9 main.
Mills and Platner have been scheduled to take part of their first televised debates of the marketing campaign in Could alongside David Costello.
Sen. Bernie Sanders supported Platner, whereas Sen. Chuck Schumer had beforehand introduced his endorsement of Mills.
Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at a city corridor in Ogunquit, Maine, Oct. 22, 2025.
Caleb Jones/AP
In a press release issued Thursday morning by the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee, Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand stated partly, “After years of permitting Trump’s abuses of energy, Senator Collins has by no means been extra susceptible and we are going to work with the presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner to defeat her.”
ABC Information’ Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
