Dem governor who stood up to Trump bows out of Senate race

Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) announced on Thursday she is suspending her campaign for U.S. Senate.

In a statement posted to her campaign site, Mills said, “When I decided to run for the United States Senate last year, it was because I believed Maine people were getting a bad deal from Washington and because the President of the United States was threatening our democracy and pushing our nation to the brink of disaster. I continue to believe that today. While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else – the fight – to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources."

“I step back from campaigning with unending love, admiration, and hope for Maine people – a people whose hearts are filled with love and whose integrity and humility is surpassed only by their kindness, generosity, and compassion," Mills concluded. “To the people of Maine: I love you, and I will continue to fight relentlessly for you as your Governor. For the next eight months, I will continue working hard for you, standing up for what is right, defending the Constitution and doing what I can to preserve our democracy."

Mills, age 78, entered the race partly at the urging of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), but has frequently faced questions about how long she would be able to serve if elected.

With Mills no longer in the running, the main Democratic candidate to take on longtime Sen. Susan Collins is Graham Platner, a harbormaster and oyster farmer running as a progressive outsider. Polls prior to Mills' exit already showed him with a comfortable lead in the primary.