US EditionMaine Gov. Janet Mills kicks off Senate run in critical 2026 race
- On Tuesday, Maine Governor Janet Mills launched her campaign for the U.S. Senate to seek Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins' seat and said she would serve only one six-year term if elected.
- Recruited by party leaders, Mills framed her run as a check on President Donald Trump after their February clash, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging her candidacy.
- A crowded primary already includes more than half a dozen candidates and at least nine other Democrats, with Graham Platner, oyster farmer and military veteran, raising more than $4 million last week.
- The outcome could affect control of the Senate as Democrats view the Maine contest as a key chance to chip away at the Republican 53-seat majority next year, while Republicans target Mills' age and fights with Trump.
- The development sets up a generational clash in the Democratic Party as Mills' entry intensifies tensions and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., backs insurgent candidates amid Maine U.S. Senate history since 1988.
104 Articles
104 Articles
Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters Senate race against Susan Collins
Maine Gov. Janet Mills Tuesday launched a Democratic campaign in a pivotal Senate race to unseat Republican Susan Collins, but she’ll have to win a primary against photogenic progressive oysterman first. Mills, a 77-year-old two-term incumbent, vowed to stand up…
Ending months of speculation, Maine Gov. Mills announces campaign for Collins’ Senate seat
Gov. Janet Mills gave her inaugural address at the Augusta Civic Center after being sworn in for a second term. (Photo by Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star)After months of speculation, Maine Gov. Janet Mills officially announced on Tuesday she’s running for U.S. Senate in 2026 to try to oust long-time Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Mills, a former state attorney general and district attorney, gained a national profile when she told President Donald…
Dem gov jumps into key Senate race — where surging progressive awaits
After weeks of speculation and reports that Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was privately calling on Maine Gov. Janet Mills to enter the race to unseat longtime Republican lawmaker Susan Collins—despite considerable energy surrounding the candidacy of progressive veteran and oyster f...
Oldest freshman contender? Mills targets Collins Senate seat
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, D, announced on Tuesday that she will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, setting up a high-stakes challenge to Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a state Democrats view as a top pickup. The term-limited governor framed her bid around clashes with President Donald Trump and criticism of Collins’ posture toward him. “Honestly, if this president and this Congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn’t b…
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