Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) stressed that she’s still on the ballot in the Maine Democratic primary for United States Senate, as Graham Platner now faces sexting allegations.
“People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out, but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot,” she told the Portland Press-Herald on Monday.
Mills suspended her campaign in April, which was driven mostly by Platner’s surge in the polls despite scandals in the fall over his Nazi symbol tattoo and past Reddit posts.
“To the people of Maine: I love you, and I will continue to fight relentlessly for you as your Governor. For the next eight months, I will continue working hard for you, standing up for what is right, defending the Constitution and doing what I can to preserve our democracy,” Mills stated at the time.
“And as always, while I am suspending active campaigning, I look forward to seeing you at a Reny’s, at a Hearts of Pine game, or maybe even on a trout pond in western Maine,” she added.
The primary was considered one of the hottest in the country, as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) seeks another term in one of the most competitive general election races of the 2026 cycle.
There are currently no other major candidates actively in the race besides Platner, and it’s unclear if Mills is planning to relaunch with only days to go until the June 9 primary. The governor, who gained national attention last year for sparring with President Donald Trump regarding transgender-identifying athletes, was the preferred pick for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Meanwhile, Platner has the backing of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), but he spent his weekend defending himself against the Wall Street Journal and New York Times sexting reports.
Graham Platner's campaign confirmed the authenticity of the messages reported by WSJ/NYT, exchanged between his wife and former aide. @NBCNews
— Julie Tsirkin (@news_jul) May 31, 2026
An official close to the campaign says Platner wasn't denying them here, he was referring to the NYT not having the texts themselves. https://t.co/I4l7wRserM
“It's no surprise to me that the establishment media outlets are just going to run gossip instead of wanting to talk about the things that actually matter in this race, which are the material realities that Mainers are working with. These people are going to try to make this race about anything but what it's supposed to be about, which is policy,” he said on Sunday, according to News Center Maine.
If Platner decided to ditch the race after winning the primary, Democratic Party officials in the state could select a new nominee before or on July 13, Fox News reported.