# Janet Mills Two-term Democratic Governor of Maine (2019–present) and former state Attorney General. Running in the 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate as the establishment candidate against [[Susan Collins]]. Endorsed by Tammy Duckworth and the DSCC. ## 2026 cycle Primary date: 2026-06-09. Mills entered the race as the presumptive nominee but has trailed [[Graham Platner]] by roughly 27 points in April 2026 Emerson polling. Her campaign's challenge is converting executive credibility into primary electorate enthusiasm against a populist outsider with Sanders-aligned backing. See [[ME-Sen-2026]] for full race context. ## Career highlights - First woman elected governor of Maine (2018) - Notably clashed publicly with the Trump administration in early 2025 on Title IX/transgender athlete enforcement — a moment that elevated her national profile - Prior AG cases against pharma (opioids litigation) and consumer-protection work form her core political identity ## Ideological positioning - Mainstream Democratic moderate; executive-brand credibility - Popular with Maine Democratic establishment; weaker with progressive primary electorate - 2025 Trump administration confrontation positioned her as an anti-Trump symbol, which plays differently in primary vs. general ## Related - [[ME-Sen-2026]] - [[Susan Collins]] - [[Graham Platner]]