Gov. Janet Mills’ U.S. Senate bid is at a turning point as she aims to overcome the fundraising and polling edge of lead rival Graham Platner.
With first-quarter fundraising reports due in about two weeks, Mills has struggled to gain momentum as major Democratic-aligned groups await the outcome of the primary and line up general election spending. The party sees five-term Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins as one of the seats needed to take control of the Senate.
The Sullivan oysterman and military veteran outraised the two-term governor in the fourth quarter of 2025 by almost $2 million and has led both Mills and Collins in several polls. Republican interests have already reserved almost $67 million in advertisements through Election Day — about $30 million more than Democratic counterparts, according to AdImpact.
The governor’s situation is difficult. Platner has more than three times more in advertising booked than Mills this week. Outside groups that have supported Mills, including EMILY’s List, which helped her win an open gubernatorial primary in 2018, have not come in with money to help her, leaving her making an aggressive case against Platner on the air over the past month.
Mills is struggling after entering the race in October after Platner, who was previously unknown and captured heavy attention after launching his run. Behind the scenes, Maine Democrats see a difficult solution for Mills after she declined to launch her bid during a feud with President Donald Trump last spring.
“You’ve got to form the field before the field forms you, and this field formed her,” a Democratic operative who has endorsed neither candidate, requesting anonymity to talk candidly.
Mills has banked on her status as the only Democrat to win a statewide office in 20 years while unleashing a series of attacks in ads and interviews educating Mainers on Platner’s vulnerabilities.
Platner’s old Reddit posts appearing to blame victims for sexual assault, calling rural white Americans “stupid” and “racist,” and tattoo of a skull-and-crossbones symbol linked to Nazis he removed after it was reported, are all fodder for a well-funded Republican machine that will only grow stronger as November approaches, Mills says.
“[Gov.] Mills has faced and beaten down millions in Republican spending before because Maine voters know and trust her,” Mills spokesperson Tommy Garcia said. “Something that cannot be said about Graham Platner.”
Platner has increasingly apologized for his widely-criticized comments and run his own bevy of ads countering Mills’ attacks. In a town hall in rural East Millinocket last week, Platner turned Mills’ argument on its head, saying Mills’ attacks have forced him to show he’s a changed man backed by supporters of drastic change both in Maine and on Capitol Hill.
Platner acknowledged in a recent interview with The New York Times that, “when the Republicans go after me, it’s going to be probably worse.” But he argued an establishment-backed candidate like Mills “who’s been in politics for a very long time” is “far more risky” in the current political climate.
The Platner campaign says it will continue to focus on engaging with voters in town halls, having held more than 50 since launching his bid in August. Platner’s team also touted his fundraising being powered by small-dollar donors, with 99% of fourth-quarter contributions at $200 or less.
EMILY’s List was among the major Democratic-aligned groups and officials endorsing Mills in the fall, saying the must-win race demanded “someone with backbone and grit. It poured in $300,000 on Mills’ behalf late in her crowded 2018 primary, a move credited with helping her beat runner-up Adam Cote. But the group did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would boost Mills this time.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party’s campaign arm, usually does not explicitly endorse candidates and has not in Maine, even though Mills is a top recruit for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.
In January, the group noted Mills “has consistently overperformed other Democrats in dense areas, suburbs and rural communities.” Senate Majority PAC, a major Democratic super PAC, has committed to spending $24 million on TV ads in Maine this fall, with party leaders citing Collins’ low approval rating in a Democratic-leaning state.
The jury may still be out on the race. Polls by Pan Atlantic Research and Emerson College this month suggested between 20% and 30% of voters are not yet familiar with Platner. The Mills campaign and some analysts argue Platner could fare even worse with critical groups such as women and moderates who have backed Collins, but he has fared well in polls so far.
BDN writer Michael Shepherd contributed to this report.
