Maine Gov Mills joins crowded Dem primary in race to challenge longtime GOP senator
Two-term Democratic governor becomes third major Senate recruit for party this year in 2026 battle to win back majority
By Paul Steinhauser Fox News
Published October 14, 2025 7:19am EDT
Democrats in Washington landed another high-profile recruit in the 2026 battle for the Senate majority, as two-term Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday announced her candidacy in the race to take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The long-anticipated campaign launch by the battle-tested 77-year-old Democratic governor is seen as a victory for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The top Democrat in the Senate urged Mills to run and sees her as the best candidate to defeat Collins, the only Republican senator up for re-election next year in a state the Democrats carried in the presidential election. A Collins defeat would be essential for the Democrats to have any chance of winning back the Senate majority.
But before she reaches the general election, Mills first has to navigate a likely competitive and potentially divisive primary among a crowded field of contenders that includes a much younger rising star on the left who's backed by longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maine-gov-mills-joins-crowded-dem-primary-race-challenge-longtime-gop-senator
