Maine Governor Janet Mills announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, sparking immediate scrutiny over her campaign’s joint fundraising efforts with the Democratic establishment. The move has drawn sharp criticism, particularly given that she faces a primary opponent, Graham Platner.
Mills entered the race to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in the 2024 election, following weeks of speculation and reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had encouraged the term-limited governor to run. Since launching his campaign in August, Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran, has positioned himself as a champion of the working class. He has criticized the oligarchy, the use of U.S. bombs in the Gaza Strip, President Donald Trump’s policies, and Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997.
In response to the news of the Mills campaign’s fundraising partnership with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Platner took to social media to express his frustration. “Chuck Schumer should be focused on fighting Donald Trump and protecting healthcare for millions of Americans, not meddling in a Maine primary,” he wrote. “DC’s choice has lost to Susan Collins five times in a row. We can’t afford a sixth.”
A DSCC spokesperson stated in a Wednesday email that the group has not made any formal endorsements this cycle. However, critics have pointed to the involvement of key Democratic figures, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), as well as vice chairs such as Sens. Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Adam Schiff (Calif.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.). These individuals are seen as central to the fundraising efforts aimed at supporting Mills.
Aaron Regunberg, a climate lawyer and former Rhode Island state representative, accused Senate leaders of working against the party’s interests. “Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand: relentlessly determined to stop the Democratic Party from ever winning back control of the Senate,” he said, suggesting the effort could be rebranded as the “AIPAC Victory Fund.”
David Sirota of The Lever emphasized the Democratic leadership’s resistance to allowing voters to choose their own nominees. “Senate Democratic leaders deeply hate the idea of Democratic voters being allowed to choose Democratic Senate nominees without the interference of party bosses,” he said.
This pattern of behavior has extended to other races. Schumer and other prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY), have refused to endorse Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist running for mayor of New York City. Critics argue this reflects a broader fear of progressive candidates like Platner and Mamdani.
The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group, criticized the Democratic Party’s inconsistent approach to primary neutrality. “It’s moves like this that have left Democratic Party leaders without any credibility,” they stated. “One day, they defend the need for ‘neutrality’ when it hurts the left. Then, the next, they intervene in primaries themselves.”
Some observers highlighted the contradiction between the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) calls for neutrality and its recent actions. Former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, who supported primary challenges to “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats, was recently ousted. Critics questioned whether the DNC’s stance on primary interference is hypocritical.
Tara McGowan, a former journalist and Democratic political strategist, expressed disbelief at the situation. “How is this any different from the accusations the DNC made about David Hogg’s efforts to influence Dem primaries when they booted him?!” she asked. “And they wonder why the Democratic Party has literally the worst approval rating in history. The blind hubris is ASTOUNDING.”
Hogg himself acknowledged the situation, stating, “Well DC has their pick,” while sharing multiple posts about Platner’s campaign.
Despite the controversy, Platner has received endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and unions such as the United Auto Workers. Meanwhile, the committee backing Mills has faced growing scrutiny. Charlotte Clymer, a writer, initially planned to remain neutral but changed her stance after the DSCC’s involvement. “It is wildly inappropriate for the DSCC to jump into a competitive primary in such a brazen and shameless way, eight months before voters go to the polls,” she said. “This is a complete failure to read the room.”
Clymer also criticized Mills’ advisors, stating, “I have great respect for Gov. Janet Mills, but she is being advised very poorly on the contours of this political moment when it comes to what Democratic voters want to see.” She added that she would support Platner in the primary.
Mills’ entry into the race has not slowed the flow of donations to Platner. His adviser Joe Calvello noted on social media that “since Gov. Mills launched her campaign, Graham Platner’s campaign has received a donation every eight seconds.”
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