Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, plans to launch a Senate campaign early next week, according to multiple reports. Mills will be one of the biggest names in a crowded Democratic field looking to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Mills to join the race
Mills is a two-term Democrat in Maine. At 77, she would be the oldest freshman senator in U.S. history.
The Maine native’s public service history in the state dates back to 2002, when she was elected to the Maine House of Representatives. She served in that role until 2009, when she became the state’s attorney general before becoming governor in 2019.
Mills made headlines in February of this year during a tense exchange with President Donald Trump over transgender athletes in schools.
“See you in court,” Mills famously said to Trump after he threatened to pull school funding over the issue.
The Department of Justice would go on to sue the state before the two sides reached a settlement.
Other Democrats running
One of those joining Mills on the Democratic ticket is Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban. Kleban specifically called out Collins and has branded himself as a working-class small business owner.
Oyster farmer and military veteran Graham Platner is also vying for the seat. Platner has been praised by sitting senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
Sanders specifically called for Mills not to enter the race to avoid “wasting millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary.”
Then there’s 35-year-old Jordan Wood, who’s spent most of his life working in Washington, D.C. He served for years as the vice president of End Citizens United and worked as chief of staff to former Congresswoman Katie Porter, D-Calif.
Also in the race is David Costello, who finished third in the 2024 Senate race behind eventual winner Angus King, I-Maine.
Replacing Susan Collins
The goal of each of these individuals is to defeat Collins, who has held the seat since 1997.
At times, Collins has shown some pushback against President Donald Trump, but she has voted along party lines when called on to do so.
Unseating her is a priority for the Democratic Party next year, and Mills is the favorite of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Collins won with sizable margins for most of her reelection campaigns, winning by double digits except for 2020, when she only won by eight points.
