In the closely watched Senate Democratic primary race in Maine, Chuck Schumer's smart-money candidate just folded:
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday that she is suspending her campaign for Senate after trailing military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic primary, citing a lack of financial resources.
“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources," Mills said in a statement.
"That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate," Mills said.
Senate Democrats had touted Mills as a top recruit to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican senator representing a state that President Donald Trump lost last year. Maine is practically a must-win if Democrats are to net the four seats they need to take control of the chamber in the 2026 midterm election. But Collins has proven a tough opponent in previous elections.
After launching her Senate campaign in October, Mills struggled to gain traction against Platner, who burst onto the scene as a brash political newcomer and quickly built a loyal following. Platner notched endorsements from high-profile progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Most importantly, he built major support among Maine Democrats, leading by double digits in recent polls of the primary.
Mills, meanwhile, was backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who viewed Mills as the party's best general election candidate...
We need to get Collins out. Period. As the article goes on to note, Platner is an imperfect candidate (and we sure hope he doesn't turn out to be another Fetterman / Manchin/ Sinema), but he's the apparent choice of a growing majority of Democratic voters in Maine. Vox populi.
Also, the out-of-touch Schumer needs to stop hand-picking Democratic Senate candidates (especially fellow senior citizens) and turn over his duties as Senate Minority Leader to a new generational leader who can inspire confidence in his caucus and in the Democratic base generally.
