Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) declined to endorse Troy Jackson, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate, on Tuesday, July 29, 2026, despite the general election being months away. In an interview with WMTW News 8, Mills said, “We haven’t spoken, but clearly Susan Collins is vulnerable, and she should be — she should be defeated.”

Jackson secured the Democratic nomination last week after candidate Graham Platner withdrew amid sexual assault allegations. Jackson, a former president of Maine’s Senate, won 566 votes and recently received an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who expressed understanding of Jackson’s short campaign timeline.

While Mills stopped short of directly endorsing Jackson, she acknowledged that Collins, the incumbent Republican senator, “faces a steep challenge” in her reelection bid, attributing this to Collins allowing former President Trump to abuse his authority. Mills herself exited the Senate race in April and did not endorse Platner at that time.

Several candidates had dropped out of the Democratic primary race to secure the 601 delegates needed for the nomination.

Sources