Maine Gov. Janet Mills officially entered the 2026 U.S. Senate race on Tuesday, setting up a high-profile Democratic primary to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Mills, 77, announced her candidacy in a video highlighting her record as governor and her clashes with Pres. Donald Trump over federal funding for Maine. “I’ve never backed down from a bully, and I never will,” she said.
The two-term governor enters a crowded Democratic field that includes oyster farmer and veteran Graham Platner, former Capitol Hill aide Jordan Wood, and, until today, Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban, who suspended his campaign and endorsed Mills.
Platner, who has drawn national attention and an early backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, said Mills’ entry won’t alter his campaign’s focus.
“It doesn’t actually change too much for us, if I’m going to be honest,” Platner told MSNBC. “… I think the governor and I have very different politics, different policies. We’re running very different campaigns, and that’s going to give the people of Maine a very good choice to figure out who they want to represent them.”
Since launching his campaign in August, Platner has demonstrated strong grassroots appeal, raising more than $4 million and drawing overflow crowds at town halls across Maine. Recent polling shows him outperforming Mills by 21 points among Trump voters, 13 points among voters aged 18–44, and 10 points in rural parts of northern and western Maine.
After respondents see bios for both Dems, Platner outperforms Mills by
— 21 pts among Trump voters
— 16 pts among independents
— 14 pts among conservatives
— 13 pts among gun households
— 13 pts among age 18-44
— 13 pts among Republicans
— 10 pts in deeply rural North/West Maine https://t.co/xTR7S1Dj9V pic.twitter.com/4p78btkpCt— Adam Carlson (@admcrlsn) October 11, 2025
Following Mills’ announcement, Wood released a statement urging that debates be held in all 16 Maine counties.
“To defeat Susan Collins, we need a Democratic candidate all Mainers can trust to serve and represent them, not special interests or party bosses,” Wood said in a statement. “That means showing up, answering questions, debating issues, and proving to voters who is best positioned to win the general election.”
Collins, who has not formally announced her reelection bid, is expected to run for a sixth term. Democrats need to flip four seats next year to reclaim control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority, including two independents who caucus with Democrats.
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