ME-SEN: Janet Mills Says She's Still on the Ballot

[RandySF]

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) “is reminding voters that her name is still on the ballot in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate,” the Portland Press Herald reports.

Said Mills: “People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out’ but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.”



https://politicalwire.com/2026/06/01/janet-mills-says-shes-still-on-the-ballot/

[Nanjeanne]

1. Shocked.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. lol grateful I don't live in Maine

[tritsofme]

3. We don't have to walk down Platner's plank...

[RandySF]

5. There is a third candidate.

https://www.costelloforsenate.com/

[duckworth969]

4. So what

People of Maine decide, no one else.

[RandySF]

7. Did I suggest they didn't?

[H2O Man]

23. Right.

I'm not sure the purpose of suggesting otherwise. You are one of the most reliable sources ever to grace this forum. Great respect, and thank you for all you do.

[RandySF]

27. Maybe it's the meds

but take a more dispassionate approach to campaigns and candidates.

[mr715]

35. Cheers

[Easterncedar]

6. Ranked choice voting is very helpful

[mr715]

17. You can bet that Janet Mills ain't winning the primary.

[Rob H.]

8. Because if there's one thing voters look for in a candidate

it's someone who can't be arsed to actually campaign for the job.

[mr715]

13. We love entitlement in our candidates

Something about a crown, robe, and scepter just makes us go wild.

[W_HAMILTON]

20. Janet Mills is the current goddamn governor of the state.

She does more in one day as a public servant for Mainers than Platner has his whole life.

If talking with a YouTuber about how you are going to """fight""" billionaires and trying to whitewash that week's scandal is what voters look for in a candidate, that would explain why our country is in the shape it's in...

[mr715]

22. Joe Biden was the sitting President.

Kamala Harris was the sitting Vice President.

What happens if you can't campaign?

You lose.

[W_HAMILTON]

25. You think Kamala didn't campaign her ass off?

[mr715]

28. She campaigned her ass off

She ran the best campaign I have ever seen. I thought, at the time, it was better than Barack Obama's campaign.

But she also didn't have an entire (primary) cycle to campaign.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

62. Blatant disrespect

toward a successful woman governor.

Who DIDN'T post a ridiculous bath towel selfie on a notorious hook up site beside a toilet with the seat up!

Jeez! That's some incredibly bad judgment. Oh and also the lying and blaming women for their rapes, etc., etc. That too.

[mr715]

70. You really examined that photo carefully.

But to each their own. I prefer him to Susan Collins.

[Emile]

73. LOL

[mr715]

80. I'm glad there are those in our party that can laugh.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

74. Are you kidding?

It's hilarious! He should use it for his campaign!

[mr715]

75. Anything to beat Collins.

I'll even put the toilet seat down.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. Makes me like her even less

Last minute intra-party ratfuckery is the worst.

[mr715]

11. Wink wink

Hey, I hear there might be a pseudo-scandal... let's figure out a way to capitalize on this, but to be clear -- to be VERY clear, I don't plan on leaving my house.

No, no campaigning for me. But remember, I'm still relevant. I'm just not ACTIVELY relevant.

Vote for me!!

[W_HAMILTON]

24. Her house is the governor's mansion.

But disparaging a strong and reliable Democratic woman with actual accomplishments to her name in favor of a """fighter""" that has never won any fights is very on brand for some Platner supporters...

[mr715]

36. As stated earlier, something about a crown, scepter, and robes turn voters off

[Quiet Em]

37. Platner's coronation can wait another nine days.

Primaries are good. They're healthy. Let Mainers participate in their election.

[mr715]

39. You are 100% correct.

And I hope everyone gets the opportunity to vote their conscience. Primaries are healthy.

I will admit to being very enthusiastic about my adopted candidate given how much I loathe Susan Collins.

But entirely, completely correct. Primaries decide who the nominee with be and this one has not happened yet.

[sheshe2]

78. Oh, snap!

[rzemanfl]

53. You may have lucked out here,

[Politicub]

40. Are you even paying attention?

She suspended her campaign a month ago. That’s a fighter, I guess?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

67. Wow, that is ugly

So everything everyone has read, seen and heard about Platner has been psuedo-scandals??

Even the ones he and his wife have admitted to?

Prop your boy and excuse his BS all you want, but it is VERY uncool to imply his very real scandals are made up.

Trashing Democratic Governor Mills like that is total bullshit.

[mr715]

68. Susan Collins is uglier.

[Quiet Em]

14. Just for reminding people she is on the ballot?

I'm pretty sure all the Maine early voters are aware of this as are most active Maine Democrats.

She was never off the ballot. She's been on the ballot the entire time.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. She suspended her campaign, which is ethically the same as withdrawing

She endorsed Platner when she suspended her campaign. If she’s had a change of heart, she should withdraw her endorsement and resume campaigning, not play cutesy semantic word games.

Swallwell suspended his campaign, should he remind California voters he is still on the ballot?

The reason candidates use the term “suspended” when dropping out, rather than “terminated” or some other more definitive term is for legal reasons.

Suspending a campaign still allows a campaign to raise funds in order to pay debts, including payroll for staff.

[Quiet Em]

29. She has not yet endorsed Graham Platner

so there is not endorsement to withdraw.

She has been on the ballot this entire time.

People in Maine having been early voting since mid May. Their ballot contains the names of David Costello, Janet Mills, Graham Platner and (write-in).

I don't know the early voting count of how many ballots have already been cast, but the ballot has not been changed. She's been on the ballot the entire time.

It's good she addressed this since there is so much confusion. I've seen people on Bluesky who think the Maine primary has already ended. They probably aren't from Maine, but

[Fiendish Thingy]

32. She endorsed him the day she suspended her campaign

It was posted all over DU.

[Quiet Em]

33. She did not endorse him the day she suspended.

and she still has not yet endorsed him.

https://mainemorningstar.com/briefs/mills-not-ready-to-support-platner-costello-though-still-in-race-says-he-would/

[Fiendish Thingy]

58. We are both right

She used weasel words:

From NBC:

In a recent interview in Maine, before she dropped out of the primary, NBC News asked Mills whether she would endorse Platner in the general election if he won the Democratic nomination.

"I’ve always been a Democrat," Mills said. "I’ve always supported the Democratic candidate."

When she suspended her campaign, Platner became the presumptive nominee, and still is.

[Quiet Em]

65. weasel words?

She said exactly what any Democrat should say.

I think we can all wait until the votes are tallied on June 9th, no?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

71. No, you're not

But def don't vote for her if her lack of "ethics" troubles you.

[mr715]

34. I don't think she did.

I think the news of the day was a general "Dem consensus emerges as Mills exits race" or some such.

[Fiendish Thingy]

59. She used weasel words:

From NBC:

In a recent interview in Maine, before she dropped out of the primary, NBC News asked Mills whether she would endorse Platner in the general election if he won the Democratic nomination.

"I’ve always been a Democrat," Mills said. "I’ve always supported the Democratic candidate."

When she suspended her campaign, Platner became the presumptive nominee, and still is.

[mr715]

61. Yeah, we know this.

But Platner was the pretty likely the de facto nominee with the 40%+ polling

[sop]

66. Schumer and Gillibrand (DSCC Chair) both endorsed Platner right after Mills pulled out.

Mills said she suspended her campaign because she was out of money, I doubt she's received any more contributions since then. She can't run a very effective general election campaign (assuming she wins the primary) if she's out of money, but contributions might start coming in if she can pull this off.

[obamanut2012]

49. Nope, she did not

[rzemanfl]

57. I am going to wash socks rather than join this fight.

Washing socks is calming.

[sheshe2]

77. Actually, she did not!

Mills, who is term limited as governor, jumped into the race late last year as one of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) top recruits, but she had trouble gaining traction in polls and fundraising while Platner surged ahead — despite various controversies around his campaign. She ended her bid Thursday in a statement without endorsing Platner.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5858298-democrats-rally-around-platner-maine-senate-mills-exit/

[questionseverything]

30. It scares me when I agree with you but you are correct about this

[mr715]

10. Wow, so she isn't even going to put in effort.

She'd 100% lose to Collins.

If her slippers can't be bothered to touch ground, I'm not giving her the time of day. And I used to support her.

[Emile]

12. Nobody has campaigned less than Janet Mills. Now

she stays in as a spoiler.

[mr715]

15. Remember Andrew Cuomo?

Reminds me of that.

[Emile]

16. Exactly

[Boo1]

46. Wasnt the word used for him sexpest?

Does that apply here?

[mr715]

50. I don't see how.

Andrew Cuomo lost his primary if I remember correctly. Ranked choice and everything. He also had to resign in disgrace because of unwanted sexual advances.

No one is accusing Graham Platner of anything illegal. In fact, no one really knows what the accusations are.

[Quiet Em]

51. Andrew Cuomo ran as an Independent

Janet Mills is a Democrat and is on the Democratic Primary Ballot

Not the same thing at all.

[mr715]

54. Andrew Cuomo ran as a Democrat and lost.

He then ran again as an Independent and lost.

I don't see how Janet Mills plays into this scenario at all -- she is a Democrat and the primary isn't over.

[Quiet Em]

55. Oh, that's right

I forgot he lost twice, lol

[mr715]

56. And it was because he wasn't running.

He was doing all imperial "This is my job to do!" while Mamdani was campaigning doorstep to doorstep.

Then he got his ass handed to him.

To my earlier point, Gov. Janet Mills was given the 'coronation' by Schumer etc. She has a great resume, elected statewide, no scandal, nothing bad...

But she, like Cuomo, did no campaigning. When she did, she seemed (to my eye) contemptuous of having to campaign.

That is why she was eventually losing by 40% and had to effectively drop out. A McCain drop out. Drop out for a couple weeks then come back in.

[Quiet Em]

60. Schumer did not coronate her

he just encouraged her to run.

Janet Mills in the Governor. I'm pretty sure everyone in Maine, at least the voters in Maine know who she is and what she stands for.

She has always been on the primary ballot. Votes have already been cast. More votes will be cast.

I don't understand why there is "concern" (sorry, but I had to) about this non breaking news story.

[mr715]

63. My understanding was he really, really wanted her to run.

And she was the early favorite. When she got in, she was my preferred candidate. But that diminished.

Yeah - part of why she was a theoretically strong candidate was that the electorate knows her. The problem is the electorate wants someone new this time around. Apparently anyway.

[obamanut2012]

18. I hope she wins

[Emile]

19. Hope is having your lottery ticket in one hand and your resignation letter in the other.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

21. I'm gonna steal that, thanks

[obamanut2012]

47. Why are you insulting me? And yes, you are

I am tired of it.

[Emile]

69. "I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

31. People should vote for her or the other candidate

[Emile]

38. Looks like Chuck Schumer is ready to back Graham Platner.

?si=xvhrHu4FQDrBS11Y

[Quiet Em]

41. This is from one month ago

[Emile]

43. This was right after Mills dropped out of the race. Look for

Schumer to endorse Platner right after he wins the primary.

[Quiet Em]

44. Well yeah,

That's Schumer's main job. Get as many Democrats elected to the Senate as he can.

[Emile]

45. Exactly

[obamanut2012]

48. Mills hasn't ended her campaign

[Emile]

52. Did you watch the video?

[Prairie Gates]

42. Pathetic

[MustLoveBeagles]

64. I was a Mills supporter

The fact that she stopped fundraising indicates that her detractors were right. She didn't really want the job. However I have no dog in this fight. I want whomever wins the primary to beat Concern-troll Collins. We need EVERY seat we can get.

[ARandomPerson]

72. This statement makes me like her less.

I favored Mills over Platner before she suspended her campaign, but "phoning it in" like this is so disrespectful to the process and so infuriating. I still don't like Platner but Mills just comes across as so lazy and used up. Is this really the best person Schumer could have backed?

[Bluetus]

79. Figure out who benefits from that and you will know who is organizing the attacks on Platner

HInt: It is not mainstream Democrats.

When a guy talks plainly about the corporate wars, the outrageous military budgets and archaic strategies, the brokenness of our HC system and all the other plain talk, it attracts the attention of all those organizations who have been flooding our system with money to direct our government in direct opposition to the good of the people.

[Emile]

81. +1

[Nixie]

82. Is she taking a page from Bernie's wife? Everybody vote your conscience.

This was a very smart move for Maine voters. She is obviously a great governor to support her people like this.