1:09Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a press conference about new legislation to protect abortion rights in Maine on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Portland Press Herald via Getty
Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat from Maine, initiated her run for the Senate on Tuesday, entering a competitive primary field aiming to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the coming year.
The current governor, serving her second term, has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump's government since January, and she presented her entry into the contest as a move to restrain the White House.
"If this President and this Congress were acting in a way that was even slightly reasonable, I wouldn't be vying for the U.S. Senate," Mills stated in the video announcing her candidacy.
"I will not stand by silently while the people of Maine endure hardships and politicians such as Susan Collins bow down as if this were commonplace," she added.
The Senate race in Maine is among the limited number of chances for Democrats to gain a Senate seat and lessen the 53-seat Republican majority in the next election year.
Mills, 77, a well-liked governor in her second term, joins a Democratic group that includes Dan Kleben, one of the originators of Maine Beer Co., Graham Platner, an oyster cultivator and military veteran, and Jordan Wood, a former congressional aide.
Mills, who was encouraged to participate by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, would become the oldest freshman senator ever if victorious in the election next year.
Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a press conference about new legislation to protect abortion rights in Maine on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.Portland Press Herald via Getty
Leading up to her announcement, several Democratic senators had commended Platner along with the enthusiasm created by his outsider campaign, which began earlier in the year and accumulated over $3 million during its initial six weeks.
He has campaigned as a working-class contender aiming to take on established special interests in Washington, gaining endorsement from prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont.
"Graham Platner is an excellent working-class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins," Sanders posted last week on X. "We must concentrate on winning that seat and refrain from wasting millions on a needless and divisive primary."
As governor, Mills broadened Medicaid coverage in her state and garnered nationwide attention earlier this year for her confrontations with Trump at the White House over his executive directive preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
Following this encounter, the Trump administration temporarily suspended federal funding to the state during a Title IX inquiry; however, it was subsequently reinstated.
Mills’ announcement video, along with her criticism of Collins, struck a different chord from the comments she gave last month, when inquired about Collins and her attempts to counteract Trump administration policies affecting Maine.
“She’s in a difficult situation. I value all of her contributions,” Mills expressed.
Platner responded on X, noting that he did not “value everything Susan Collins has been doing.”
Collins, the head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, seeking a sixth term, secured a narrow reelection in 2020, in a year where President Joe Biden won three of Maine’s four electoral votes.
She had previously won her reelection efforts by significant margins.
She has voiced disapproval of the Trump administration on numerous counts — most recently regarding its choice to lay off federal employees amid the government shutdown — and voted to convict Trump in his second Senate impeachment trial.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
