It’s unsurprising that the contest to find a 2026 candidate to oppose Maine’s Republican U.S. senator, Susan Collins , has aroused a lot of national interest among Democrats. She is, after all, the only GOP Senate incumbent running for reelection in a state carried by Kamala Harris last year (or so it appears; Collins is raising money but hasn’t actually announced yet). There’s also a sense among Maine Democrats that their last Collins opponent, former state-legislative leader Sara Gideon , blew a clear opportunity to oust the veteran senator in 2020.

This week, Maine’s term-limited governor, Janet Mills , announced her candidacy , setting the stage for a lively and potentially divisive 2026 Democratic Senate primary. The arguments over her bid reflect many of the disputes going

See Full Page