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AUGUSTA, Maine (WBZ NewsRadio) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills officially announced her campaign for Senate on Tuesday, seeking to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
“Donald Trump is ripping away health care from millions, driving up costs, and giving corporate CEOs massive tax cuts. And Susan Collins is helping him,” Mills wrote in her announcement.
The Democrat has lead Maine since 2020, and was previously the state’s attorney general. She also served in the Maine Legislature and was the state’s first female district attorney.
Mills has been heavily recruited by other Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, to challenge Collins in 2026.
In the video announcing her campaign, Mills emphasized her successful legal fight against the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze federal funding to Maine.
The funding freeze came after Maine refused to ban transgender women from playing women’s sports. Mills publicly sparred with President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this year, telling Trump that she’d see him in court.
That day, she said she’d heard the voice of her father, former Maine state lawmaker Sumner Peter Mills Jr.
“When I was little, he told me you can’t let bullies have their way, or they’ll never stop,” Mills said.
Mills said several lawmakers including Collins have “forgotten their principles and let bullies like Trump have their way.
“Honestly, if this president and this congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn't be running for the U.S. Senate,” she continued.
At 77 years old, Mills would be the oldest freshman senator in history. She told the Boston Globe that she only plans to serve one term.
Other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in Maine include oyster farmer and military veteran Graham Platner. The 41-year-old has raised millions of dollars for his campaign and has the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Also in the race are Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban and Jordan Wood, who served as former Rep. Katie Porter’s chief of staff.