Janet Mills suspends Maine Senate campaign and makes way for Platner

Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her U.S. Senate campaign in a surprise move on April 30, all but handing the Democratic nomination to oyster farmer Graham Platner, who will face GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November.

Mills announced Thursday that she was exiting the race for financial reasons.

"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 political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources," Mills said in a statement.

Platner, 41, said Mills, 78, dedicated her career to Maine.

"We both got into this race because we knew how critical it is to defeat Susan Collins. And her decision today reflects a commitment to that project," Platner said in a statement. "I look forward to working with her between now and November to do just that. To defeat Susan Collins and turn this seat blue again."

Sen. Collins currently has $10 million on hand. Platner, a Marine and Army veteran, has raised nearly $12 million since entering the race, but has $2.7 million on hand. Gov. Mills raised $5 million since entering the race with only $1 million on hand.

A March poll, conducted by Emerson College, showed Platner, a political novice, leading Mills by 27 points in the primary race for the U.S. Senate. The race is a critical pickup for Democrats as they go on offense to try and take back control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority.

Mills is leaving the race amid conversations about generational change in politics. The race illustrated the widening gap between the Democratic establishment's preferred candidates and the party's next generation. Senate progressives Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in the party endorsed Platner in the race while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer backed Mills.

Platner has faced criticism for a tattoo of a skull and crossbones, associated with Nazi symbolism, and old Reddit posts that surfaced in which he made comments some considered offensive about sexual assault and political violence.

The Democratic candidate later revealed on Instagram that he'd gotten a new tattoo to cover the old one, saying he was "appalled to learn it closely resembled a Nazi symbol." In a statement after Mills' announcement, the Republican National Committee previewed its potential attacks aimed at Platner, calling Collins "a proven leader with an indisputable record" while referring to Platner as a "Nazi sympathizing self-proclaimed communist."

Democrats are again hoping to unseat Sen. Collins, a moderate who once frustrated President Trump, although he has softened his stance towards her in his second term. Collins has long been a thorn in the side of Democrats as well.

In 2020, the party expected Sara Gideon, the former Maine Speaker of the House, to prevail over Collins. The five-term centrist senator often trailed in polls leading up to Election Day, but when former President Joe Biden won the state by nine points, Collins defeated Gideon (who raised over $75 million) by almost the same margin.

Contributing: Swasti Singhai, Fernando Cervantes Jr.