Maine Senate Race Intensifies as Supporters Urge Governor Janet Mills to Return to the Race

Maine Governor Janet Mills has kept her name on the June 9 primary ballot for the U.S. Senate seat after suspending active campaigning earlier this spring. In the wake of new allegations against Republican candidate Graham Platner, a chorus of high‑profile supporters is calling for Mills to unsuspend her campaign and re‑enter the contest.

Former state senator Lynn Bromley, who helped launch an anti‑Platner advertisement, said she wants Mills to re‑activate her candidacy. “There are a lot of us wanting her to jump back in,” Bromley told an interview, adding that she would continue to vote for Mills in the primary if she came back into the race.

State representatives Holly Eaton, Allison Hepler and Ryan Gallagher have stressed that a vote for Mills will still count, even if she chooses not to run again. “My plan is still to vote for Janet Mills,” Eaton said. “If she lets the campaign resume, that would be a bold statement.”

Plattner’s campaign came under renewed scrutiny after his wife, Amy Gertner, revealed he sent explicit text messages to women during his first marriage. Gertner claimed her confidence was broken by a former campaign official who shared the messages. The revelations have prompted questions about Plattner’s readiness to win a statewide election.

While Dan Kimball of the Senate Minority Leadership and national Democratic senators have declined to weigh in on whether Mills might return, the timing of the allegations has intensified pressure on the candidate to address the controversy head‑on. Those who support Mills argue that her record on issues such as abortion rights and betters women’s visibility in politics give her a compelling platform against the incumbent Republican, Susan Collins.

In a face‑to‑face interview, Mills explained that her suspension was primarily financial. “I too have ran out of money and am no longer able to raise enough to compete,” she said, acknowledging that her name remains on the ballot. She also emphasized that she wishes to continue to have a meaningful conversation with voters while still on the ballot.

The race faces a potential shift if Platner were to withdraw, a move that would open the door to an additional replacement on the ballot by late July. 10% of primary voters in a recent University of New Hampshire poll identified Mills as their first choice, while 59% favored Platner over incumbent Senator Collins in a hypothetical general election. The trade‑off remains unclear as the campaign season heats up.

With the primary day around the corner, the debate about whether Mills should return remains polarized. Some supporters are ready to launch an unpaid social‑media push to remind voters that Mills still appears on the ballot. Others contend that her contributions to the campaign could be limited due to her financial state. Irrespective of her decisions, the conversations surrounding leadership, candidacy and restoration to the race highlight the significant stakes for the upcoming election in Maine.