Ahmad Austin Jr.Apr 30th, 2026, 9:48 am

Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday that she’s suspending her Senate campaign, paving the way for Graham Platner to win the Democratic primary.

Mills claimed her decision was a financial one, saying in a statement:

“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. That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate.

Mills faced an uphill battle against Platner, a progressive Democrat.

Despite Platner’s many controversies — including a Nazi tattoo and his past comments on rape — he maintained a substantial lead over Mills in the polls.

A recent survey conducted by the Maine People’s Resource Center had Platner up by 33 points over the governor.

Platner will take on incumbent Republican Susan Collins in the general election. As noted in a report from NBC News, victory in the state is crucial for the Democratic Party as it looks to wrest control from Republicans in the midterms:

Senate Democrats had touted Mills as a top recruit to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican senator representing a state that President Donald Trump lost last year. Maine is practically a must-win if Democrats are to net the four seats they need to take control of the chamber in the 2026 midterm election. But Collins has proven a tough opponent in previous elections.

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