Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Tuesday that she'll enter the race to defeat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a top target in national Democrats' bid to regain the Senate.

Mills was recruited by Democratic Senate leaders after her high-profile confrontation with President Donald Trump in February over transgender athletes, a dispute that triggered a wave of retaliatory moves by his administration against the state. The exchange is featured in her launch ad .

"My life's work has prepared me for this fight and I'm ready to win," Mills says in the video. "This election will be a simple choice: Is Maine going to bow down or stand up. I know my answer."

In an interview, Mills said the interaction was a "jaw-dropping" moment that showcased Trump's monarch-like aspirations. She said it a

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