Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) is dropping out of the state’s Senate race, setting up a head-to-head match-up this November between Graham Platner (D) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

Said Mills, in a statement: “I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources.”

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) offered an apology after he was quoted using a slur against people with intellectual disabilities in a recent interview, WMTW reports.

Said Platner: “I am sorry. I’m sorry that I said it. I am endeavoring to improve every single day. I am not a perfect person, and I continue to try to be better.”

He added: “I will say that my politics is one of inclusivity and one of showing up for everybody, and I will continue every day to represent that in our policies and in our campaign.”

“Gov. Janet Mills’ supporters publicly insist she can still win Maine’s Senate seat. But quietly, many of them in both Maine and Washington say she’s running out of time to defeat Graham Platner in the primary,” NOTUS reports.

Said one Democratic official: “In the last week, for a lot of people, the perception of her race has really changed. I just think her negative ads don’t feel like they’re working.”

Lakshya Jain: “Simply put, the race for the Democratic nomination in Maine is between ‘weak’ and ‘weaker.’ One candidate, incumbent Gov. Janet Mills, is 78 years old and not especially popular. The other, oyster farmer Graham Platner, brings with him a litany of scandals, including a series of controversial social media posts and a Nazi tattoo on his chest.”

“Ordinarily, it would be unthinkable for either party to bypass a sitting governor in favor of a political novice dogged by controversy. And if Mills and Platner were facing off even two years ago, there’s little doubt that Mills would have cruised to victory. Today, however, her position is perilous.”

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) signed a pledge refusing to accept large donations from corporate health care executives, lobbyists and political groups — five days after he fundraised with lobbyists in the health care sector, the Bangor Daily News reports.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed Graham Platner (D) in his U.S. Senate primary against Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D).

A new Pan Atlantics Poll in Maine finds Graham Platner (D) leading Gov. Janet Mills (D) in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary by 7 points, 46% to 39% with another 11% undecided.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) endorsed Graham Platner (D) in the Democratic Maine Senate primary, the AP reports.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) launched a tough new ad hitting Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) as “always concerned, but never courageous” in the state’s U.S. Senate contest

“Among the Super Bowl commercials hawking potato chips, beer and cars, viewers who tune in to the big game in Maine on Sunday will see a spot for the state’s Republican senator, Susan Collins, who is viewed as one of her party’s most vulnerable Senate incumbents,” the New York Times reports.

“The 30-second ad, which highlights efforts by Ms. Collins to support firefighters, is part of an expensive effort by a Republican-aligned group to help Ms. Collins fend off what is expected to be a fierce Democratic challenge in November.”

“Good Lord. I’m not Joe Biden for God’s sake.”

— Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), quoted by CNN, reiterating that she would serve just one term if elected as the oldest freshman senator ever.

“The surge of federal immigration agents into Maine has put the Senate’s most vulnerable Republican, Susan Collins, on the defensive — and in avoidance mode — as she fends off attacks from two Democratic challengers who say she needs to stand up to President Donald Trump,” the Washington Post reports.

A group aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is planning to spend tens of millions of dollars to protect centrist Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in this year’s midterms, even as President Trump has repeatedly criticized her for breaking with the party, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) raised $4.7 million in the final quarter of the year, Axios reports.

“The fundraising haul suggests that Platner — a Bernie Sanders-endorsed populist who came under fire for a Nazi-linked tattoo and controversial social media posts — may have weathered the storm for the time being.”

“Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s social media history is a major general election liability, a new Democratic polling memo warns,” Politico reports.

“The survey, conducted on behalf of the Democratic group EMILY’s List, finds that most voters wouldn’t support Platner over Republican Sen. Susan Collins after learning of his past social media posts in which he called himself a communist, denigrated the police and characterized white people in rural Maine as ‘stupid’ and ‘racist.’”

“When voters are read direct quotes from Platner’s since-deleted Reddit posts, he loses to Collins by double digits.”

Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) told NBC News he’s pushing ahead with his Senate race and insisted he’s a more “electable” candidate than Democratic rival Gov. Janet Mills.

Said Platner: “It is amusing for me to watch the campaign described in the media as collapsing or falling apart — when internally, we frankly have not felt this strong since the beginning.”

“The finance director for Graham Platner’s Senate campaign announced his resignation on Friday, the latest in a series of personnel departures for the Maine hopeful’s high-profile bid that has been marred by controversies over old social media posts and his tattoo with Nazi connotations,” Politico reports.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, won’t commit to release her medical records in her 2026 bid for Senate, as her Democratic primary opponents call for a new generation of leadership in Congress, Axios reports.