Maine voters head into a June 9 Democratic Senate primary with two candidates offering sharply different paths to the same goal: defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. Democrat Janet Mills, the state’s two-term governor, is betting that her long record in government—and her name recognition—can translate into confidence among Democratic voters who will ultimately decide who carries the party’s hopes statewide.
Mills has returned to a story she has used as a warning against underestimating her political strength. The Associated Press reported that Mills, during her early career as Maine’s first female prosecutor in the state attorney general’s criminal division, secured a murder-trial verdict decades ago; she later recalled that a newspaper headline focused on “The prosecutor wore pale powder blue.” In a recent memo to campaign donors, she wrote, “That wasn’t the first time someone underestimated me. And it certainly wasn’t the last,” according to the AP report. As her Senate bid advances, Mills has repeatedly framed herself as the experienced choice rather than a challenger without a proven record.
Her immediate opponent, Graham Platner, entered the race last summer and has built momentum through large rallies and broader enthusiasm, with the AP reporting that he has drawn bigger crowds and has raised more money than Mills. Platner is also using a campaign strategy aimed at affordability concerns such as housing and healthcare and has targeted what he calls “oligarchy,” while his supporters have argued the party needs a new direction after Democrats’ 2024 losses. The AP reported that Platner is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and other progressive leaders.
Mills, by contrast, is competing in a race in which the party establishment in Washington has aligned behind her. The AP reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have endorsed her, and that Mills’ candidacy is also supported by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which endorsed Mills earlier this month. Speaking after a Portland rally supporting Planned Parenthood, Mills argued that Platner has been weaker on reproductive-rights issues, and she said of him, “He’s been nowhere on these issues,” adding, “He’s never walked the walk,” according to the AP report.
The AP report describes Mills as leaning on her experience and presenting smaller gatherings as a way to connect with voters. It said May 7 would be the first of five Democratic primary debates, and that Platner’s past controversies are expected to be a focus. At the same time, Mills’ coalition has acknowledged that translating experience into a win is not guaranteed, with Emily Cain—identified by the AP as a former Maine state lawmaker and former executive director of EMILY’s List—saying the decision facing primary voters is, “Who do you think has the best chance of beating Sen. Collins?” Cain also said, as reported by the AP, that the key difference is between personal preference and electability in the fall.
Age has emerged as another factor dividing voters. Mills is 78 and has said she will serve only one term if elected, while Platner is 41 and has argued voters should choose a senator who will be in Washington long enough to build seniority and influence over funding and policymaking, the AP reported. The AP also reported that Maine has one of the oldest median ages in the country, while some Democrats have become wary of older candidates after Joe Biden’s aborted run for a second term at 81. Karen Tilbor, 79, told the AP she described herself as a Mills supporter but said she is unsure how she will vote in the primary and that she thinks “many more young people” will choose Platner.
The race also features contrasting assessments of each candidate’s organizational strength. Platner has held large-scale events across Maine, while Mills supporters argue she does not need to pack theaters because voters already know her positions and personality. Denham Ward, 79, told the AP that Mills has “supporters who have known her for a long time,” and said she is “a known commodity for the state” with an organization that can take on Collins, as the report said.
Both sides acknowledge potential liabilities moving through the primary, according to the AP report. Mills’ campaign has highlighted controversial statements attributed to Platner in older online posts, which Platner has since disavowed, and it has also attacked what the AP described as a skull-and-crossbones tattoo that he said he received during a night of drinking while on military leave in Croatia and that is recognized as a Nazi symbol. The AP reported that Mills also faces scrutiny from some liberal voters for opposing a voter referendum to create a red flag gun law in Maine, which the AP said ultimately passed. The report also said Mills has positioned herself as an opponent of Trump, and that while it may resonate in much of Maine, it could be a disadvantage in some more rural areas.
As campaigns move closer to the primary, the AP report described Mills focusing on small business engagement in coastal communities near Portland, with events that brought only about five to 10 people each. The report said Shelley Stevens, 51, owner of a florist in Cape Elizabeth, told reporters that Mills has “a ton more experience” and that Mills could help the state secure federal funding and recognition, calling the case “pragmatic.”
Mills and Platner are now narrowing their message to a choice Democratic primary voters will make before the party turns its focus to Collins. The primary’s outcome will determine who the Democrats nominate to challenge the long-serving Republican senator, with both candidates presenting different theories of what it will take to win in the fall.