Democrat Governor Signals She May Re-Enter US Senate Race

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills told voters Monday that she will still be on the ballot for the U.S. Senate race despite having suspended her campaign weeks earlier.

Mills suspended her campaign in April for financial reasons while still saying at the time that she had “the fight” to continue. On Monday, Mills posted on X, stating, “People have the impression that I withdrew or dropped out, but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.”

“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources. That is why today, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for United States Senate,” she had said in April.

Mills re-entering the race comes after oyster farmer Graham Platner, the race’s other Democratic candidate supported by Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, faced criticism for sexting several women after getting married.

Mills, who is backed and was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, will remain on the ballot since she did not fill out the paperwork to nullify her votes with the Maine Secretary of State, according to the Portland Press Herald.

A poll released last week by the University of New Hampshire showed that Mills only had 10% support, according to the outlet.  The University of New Hampshire had released a poll when she was actively campaigning showing that Mills was trailing behind Platner by a significant margin.

Mills has been under scrutiny during her time as governor because she has expanded taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants and declined to veto a bill that would limit law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration authorities.