My statement suspending my candidacy for the U.S. Senate:
pic.twitter.com/IDs58EfatC— Janet Mills (@JanetMillsforME) April 30, 2026
Posted on 04/30/2026 9:40:07 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
We have an update on the Maine Senate Democrat primary, and it's not good news for Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Newcomer Graham Platner and the state's governor, Janet Mills, were the top two candidates in the race, with Platner being endorsed by twice-failed presidential candidate and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as a humble, purported working-class guy who would buck Schumer and the Democrat establishment and would be a "fighter" against President Trump's America First agenda.
Mills had the backing of Schumer and the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), with the belief that her popularity in the state and her standoff with Trump over the issue of men in women's sports elevated her profile enough to the point she'd be a shoo-in for the nomination.
But though the Platner campaign was rocked by one scandal after another, including the people of Maine finding out that he had a Nazi-themed tattoo, he comfortably remained at the top of the leaderboard in the race, something that, along with a lack of financial resources, prompted Mills to suspend her campaign on Thursday.
In her statement, Mills stopped short of endorsing Platner, saying that "I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources," while adding that she had, "unending love, admiration, and hope for Maine people — a people whose hearts are filled with love and whose integrity and humility is surpassed only by their kindness, generosity, and compassion."
My statement suspending my candidacy for the U.S. Senate:
pic.twitter.com/IDs58EfatC— Janet Mills (@JanetMillsforME) April 30, 2026
The DSCC responded to the news by getting behind Platner, saying in a lukewarm statement that "After years of allowing Trump’s abuses of power, Senator Collins has never been more vulnerable and we will work with the presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner to defeat her."
For her part, Sen. Collins (R-ME) was making good use of all the oppo dumps against Platner during the primary prior to Mills dropping out:
Susan Collins has also pivoted to the general election. Last week, the senator responded to negative ads from Schumer-aligned groups by referencing the chest tattoo Platner covered up after it was identified last year as a Nazi symbol.
Susan Collins: Chuck is trying to cover up Democrats’ bad ideas by attacking others. You know, when I think about it, his approach is like trying to cover up an outrageous tattoo. You can paint over it, but we all know what’s underneath."
NOTUS: Susan Collins has also pivoted to the general election. Last week, the senator responded to negative ads from Schumer-aligned groups by referencing the chest tattoo Platner covered up after it was identified last year as a Nazi symbol.
Susan Collins: Chuck is trying to cover up Democrats’ bad ideas by attacking others. You know, when I think about it, his approach is like trying to cover up an outrageous tattoo. You can paint over it, but we all know what’s underneath."#MaineSenate
https://t.co/kzd2bQ5bVy pic.twitter.com/vykV15mnto— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) April 29, 2026
When I say there is a large volume of material on Platner for Collins to work with during the general election, it's an understatement (we've documented a lot of it here). Here's a summary of sorts:
The real life version of him is the rich kid who lied about a Nazi tattoo, said rape victims need to take accountability, that white people living in Maine were stupid, and said he was a communist at 34 years old.
He said who he really is… you choose not to believe him https://t.co/xtslr70KZZ— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) April 30, 2026
This is important - they've barely scratched the surface with Platner. https://t.co/yI6MgfPoTc— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) April 30, 2026
While Platner might have coasted through the primary, the general campaign season is a different matter, as both he and Collins will be pursuing more than just the votes of their respective political parties but also independents, who comprise 36 percent of the state's voting base, according to Independent Voting Project:
Total Registered Voters: 965,085
Democrats: 325,974 (33.78%)
Republicans: 287,858 (29.83%)
Other/Independent: 351,253 (36.40%)
Democrats view the seat as a top pick-up opportunity, but Platner is mistake-prone, and Collins is a seasoned campaigner who has survived previous challenges and who is not going to go quietly into the night. This one should be interesting to watch.
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Chuck has been blown.
Why ANYONE would be against the “America first agenda” is beyond me.
Happened to catch a glimpse of Sen Collins while touring the Senate wing of the Capitol, in fact this week last year.
She ‘s a tiny little garden gnome, but she’s our garden gnome and we have to pull for her.
Now you’ll excuse me. I just threw up in my mouth
“Now you’ll excuse me. I just threw up in my mouth”
LOL!
Platner is polling to win comfortably. And always polled better than Mills.
https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls/senate
Yep.
The radical left is highly energized, and Nazi Platner is this year’s version of John Fetterman circa 2022. Maine is even more left-leaning than PA.
The idea that Mills was the Rats’ *only* hope to unseat Collins was never anything less than 100% wrong.
Fetterman of course became the Democrats’ most reviled Senator after being in office for a little while; that’s not too likely to happen with Platner.
Maine is a mixed up state - I have relatives in a few Conservative small towns. Platner makes Bernie look sane. Collins needs to retire. Maine’s second district might flip.
If Maine is so mixed up, why does it have RCV...?
Once again, polling is suspiciously inaccurate. If you follow any of the online news sources from TV stations here in Maine, who are all in the bag for the Democrats, reading the comments left by Maine citizens is the best indicator of his electability. I’m seeing 99% against Platner, ridiculing him.
There’s a lot there to ridicule!
I am very dubious about accepting this statement at face value. Other factors must be in play. However, what they might be, I have no clue.
Mills should have the full backing of the Democrat establishment donors. Instead they are running another lunatic. This is insane.
Because you are on the foreign graft gravy train, much of which has been financed by the US taxpayer through overseas NGOs.
How can the left call us Nazis when they are rallying behind a self proclaimed Nazi, complete with Nazi tattoos? Next time they try to use that term just point to this clown.
Maine’s 2nd district should have always been ours-Trump territory. Now it’s ex-gov Le Page-top tier.
If Kamala can get 48% nationwide there may be enough nuts in Maine to put him over the top. I just don’t think so. She’s been reliable for them and did the profile in courage act with the Kavanaugh vote.
They’re kind of ‘republicans’ are Olympia Snowe and Cohen. Tolerable. Remember Vermont’s Jim Jeffords? I drove through the state seeing signs that said ‘Thanks Jim’.
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