politics
April 30, 2026
Janet Mills ends Senate campaign in Maine, paving way for Graham Platner to win Democratic nomination
Updated on: April 30, 2026 / 10:00 AM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Maine Governor Janet Mills has suspended her Senate campaign, stating financial constraints as the primary reason.
- This move paves the way for Graham Platner, a political newcomer, to likely win the Democratic nomination.
- Mills was recruited by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a key midterm race.
- Platner had shown significant strength in polls and fundraising, leading Mills in a March Emerson College poll.
- Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand expressed support for Platner's campaign to defeat Collins, whom they criticized for enabling the "Trump administration."
- Platner has faced controversy over past comments and a tattoo resembling a Nazi insignia, for which he apologized.