Janet Mills, Maine’s two-term governor and a trailblazer in state politics, is running for U.S. Senate but faces a spirited primary challenge from Graham Platner, a younger progressive with strong grassroots energy. The race centers on experience versus fresh momentum, age and electability, and controversies tied to Platner’s past. With endorsements split between establishment and progressive leaders, the June 9 primary will determine which approach Democrats think gives them the best chance to beat Sen. Susan Collins.
Janet Mills Has the Resume — Can Experience Overcome Graham Platner’s Momentum in Maine’s Democratic Senate Primary?
Maine Gov. Janet Mills talks to reporters Friday, April 17, 2026, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Janet Mills is leaning on a long record of firsts and establishment backing as she seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, but rising challenger Graham Platner has injected fresh energy into the race and forced a competitive primary ahead of the June 9 vote.
Experience vs. Momentum
Mills, a two-term governor and Maine’s first woman district attorney and attorney general, emphasizes her decades of public service and deep knowledge of state government. She has been endorsed by national Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and recently won the backing of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Platner, a 41-year-old military veteran and oyster farmer, has outraised Mills, drawn larger, enthusiastic crowds and gained high-profile progressive endorsements — most notably from Sen. Bernie Sanders. His campaign focuses on affordability issues such as housing and health care and casts himself as a fresh alternative to establishment politics.
FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, greets lawmakers prior to delivering her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, FIle)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Key Fault Lines
Age is a prominent theme in the race: Mills is 78 and has pledged to serve only one Senate term if elected, while Platner argues voters should choose someone who will remain in Washington long enough to build seniority. That argument matters in a state with an older median age but amid broader Democratic concerns about elderly candidates after the 2024 presidential cycle.
Controversies have followed Platner since he entered the campaign. Old inflammatory online posts that he has disavowed resurfaced and were highlighted in Mills’ attack ads. Questions have also surrounded a skull-and-crossbones tattoo that critics say has troubling associations; Platner says he got it during a night of drinking while on military leave and has since covered it.
Mills faces criticisms from some progressives for opposing a voter referendum that created a red-flag gun law in Maine — a measure that ultimately passed. She has positioned herself as an opponent of former President Donald Trump, a stance likely to help in many parts of Maine but which could be a liability in more rural, conservative areas.
FILE - Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at a town hall in Ogunquit, Maine, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Ground Game and Voter Views
Platner’s rallies and ads have created a sense of momentum among younger and progressive voters. Mills counters with smaller, intimate events and an argument that broad name recognition and institutional experience make her the stronger general-election candidate against long-serving Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Supporters say her experience could help Maine secure federal funding and influence, while skeptics worry about energy and appeal to younger voters.
“I’m really torn, I want the person who can win,” said Karen Tilbor, 79, a Mills supporter who remains undecided for the primary. “Many more young people” will likely back Platner, she added.
What’s At Stake
The June 9 Democratic primary — and the May 7 debate that will launch a series of party forums — will test whether Maine Democrats prioritize seasoned experience and establishment support or embrace a younger, more progressive voice. The outcome will shape Democrats’ strategy to unseat Collins in November.
Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I.
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