Several Democratic candidates have announced campaigns against Collins, including David Costello, who ran unsuccessfully against Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King in 2024. All eyes are most focused on Janet Mills (seen here), the state governor who has also tussled with Trump but hasn't yet said whether she will run. Maine will have its primaries on June 9.

WASHINGTON - Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills announced that she will be running for U.S. Senate in a bid to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has served as the senator of the Pine Tree state since 1996.

Mills is joining what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary for the Senate race. Other candidates include Marine and U.S. Army veteran Graham Platner, who was endorsed by progressive firebrand Sen. Bernie Sanders, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban and former congressional aide Jordan Wood.

Collins, Maine's senior senator, has garnered a reputation as a rare Republican senator willing to, occasionally, buck Trump. The 72-year-old voted against the final passage of Trump’s sweeping tax and spending legislation and opposed the $9 billion cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid funding that the president backed.

In an Oct. 14 video announcing her candidacy, Mills, 77, argued, however, that Collins has forgotten her principles and “let bullies like Trump have their way.”

“I won't sit idly by while Maine people are suffering. Politicians like Susan Collins bend a knee as if this were normal. My life's work has prepared me for this fight, and I'm ready to win,” Mills said. “This election will be a simple choice. Is Maine gonna bow down or stand up?”

In an interview with NBC News, Mills pointed to Collins’ decision to confirm some of Trump’s cabinet picks, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made changes to COVID-19 vaccine policy, urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol, making unproven claims that it is linked to an increased risk of autism in children and led the effort to remove eight artificial food dyes from medications and the nation's food supply by the end of 2026.

Mills also told the news outlet that she would not plan to serve for more than one term if elected, and said that her own “age is a consideration.”

Sanders wrote in a post on X before Mills announced her candidacy that it was “disappointing” that some Democratic leaders were urging her to run. “We need to focus on winning that seat & not waste millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary,” he said.

Former Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Susan Wild said on X: “Janet Mills is ten years older than I am, and now I’m wondering why I decided not to run for Congress again next year because I didn’t want to be part of the aging problem in Congress.”

Democrats see this upcoming race as one of their top pickup opportunities in 2026.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maine Gov. Janet Mills to run for US Senate in a bid to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins

Reporting by Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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