Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) says she’s “not planning to run for anything,” including Sen. Susan Collins’s (R-ME) seat, in 2026.
Mills is one of the most notable Democrats in the state who could challenge Collins for her swing Senate seat. She did not rule out a run, however.
“I don’t have a response,” she said in an interview released Friday. “I’m not planning on doing anything right now. I’m not planning to run for anything. Things change week-to-week, month-to-month, but at this moment I’m not planning to run for another office.”
Mills was elected governor in 2018 and won reelection in 2022. The 77-year-old cannot run for a third term in 2026 because Maine limits governors to two consecutive terms.
“I love being governor, despite the hard times we’ve had. It’s been an interesting six years, to say the least. In Lewiston, the pandemic, these current controversies. I feel fortunate and privileged to have this position to work on behalf of the people of Maine,” she said.
When pressed again on running for Senate, she added, “I don’t have a PAC. I’m planning to keep being governor best I can, do my job as best I can.”
Collins, a longtime Maine senator, has been a consistent target of Democrats but has been elected to the Senate five times. Since first being elected in 1996, the closest contest was in 2020 against former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, and Mills still won by about 8 points.
Both parties are expected to unload cash into the race, although no notable Democrats have declared to run against Collins. Only one politically connected person has filed to run: Jordan Wood, former chief of staff to former California Democratic Rep. Katie Porter.
Other Democrats rumored to run include Maine Rep. Jared Golden, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, and Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau.
“Fresh off Senator Durbin’s decision to retire and three other senior Senate Democrats calling it quits, Janet Mills clearly recognizes what the American people have long known: the Democratic Party is shattered beyond repair,” Senate Leadership Fund chairman Cory Gardner told the Washington Examiner. The SLF is a GOP-aligned Super PAC.
“While Democrats reel from this recruitment failure and squabble about the direction of their party, Senator Susan Collins continues to deliver results for the people of Maine with effective and proven leadership,” he added.
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The Cook Political Report rates the 2026 Maine Senate race as “Lean Republican.” Collins’s seat is one of three Republican seats set to be competitive, according to CPR.
Mills recently stirred up a spat with President Donald Trump when she said she would see him in court over transgender student athletes being restricted from participating in sports aligned with the opposite sex. The government sued the state for refusing to comply with Title IX.