July is often the summer doldrums when it comes to Maine politics. But this July has been anything but so far — just like the rest of 2025.
Once again, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been the focus of national attention — and scorn among Democrats — as Republicans dutifully carried out President Donald Trump’s controversial plans for tax cuts while slashing billions of dollars from Medicaid, foreign aid and public broadcasting. While Collins ultimately opposed both measures, the intense Democratic response signals the 2026 election has officially arrived in Maine.
And speaking of 2026 ... many of the Democrats and Republicans hoping to become Maine’s next governor spent the first few weeks of summer asking for campaign cash — with significant success.
The big question — who will challenge Collins?
Democrats have hit Collins with a barrage of attacks in recent weeks, accusing her of aiding and abetting the Trump agenda even when she was one of the only Republicans to vote against that agenda.
They are also trying to flip the narrative on the incumbent. That was certainly the case last week when — after Republicans passed President Trump’s $9 billion funding clawback bill without Collins’ support — Maine Democratic Party spokesman Tommy Garcia alluded to Collins’ leadership of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Susan Collins has failed to stop Republicans from handing even more power over to Donald Trump, flying in the face of her own campaign promises to use her power and seniority to deliver for Mainers,” Garcia said. He concluded by saying this will “lead to her defeat in 2026.”
The Collins campaign, meanwhile, has dismissed the Democratic attacks as “pathetic” attempts to confuse Maine voters about how Collins actually voted.
But there’s a big question looming over the party’s 2026 campaign against Collins: who will challenge her? And more specifically: will it be Gov. Janet Mills?
Party officials sidestep such questions to avoid any perceptions of a preferred candidate 10 months before the primary.
"We do have a wonderful pool of candidates and in Maine we are lucky that we have people willing to step up to the plate and take on this challenge,” Maine Dems’ vice chair Imke Schessler-Jandreau said recently when asked about the 2026 election.
So far, none of the higher-profile Dems with aspirations for higher office have stepped up to that particular plate. Former Senate President Troy Jackson, former House Speaker Hannah Pingree and current Secretary of State Shenna Bellows have all opted to run for governor rather than take on Collins.
"It's not easy to beat an incumbent — we all know this,” Schlessler-Jandreau said. “But as they start to shake out and we get more candidates into the fold, we will let the people of the state of Maine make their decision on who they want their candidate to be."
To date, five Democrats have filed papers to seek the party’s nomination.
Jordan Wood of Bristol has the most robust campaign so far, raising more than $1.6 million over several months. Although a political newcomer in his native state, Wood has worked at the national level in D.C. and is already holding events around Maine.
David Costello of Brunswick is also running again for the Senate after finishing third in last year’s four-person race won by incumbent U.S. Sen. Angus King. The other declared Democratic candidates are Tucker Favreau of Brunswick, Natasha Alcala of Madawaska and Andrea Laflamme of Bangor.
The Mills factor
But Mills is the wildcard.
The two-term governor and former attorney general is at the top of many Democratic activists' wish list. She has also reportedly been pursued by national party operatives, especially since her “See you in court” rebuff to Trump in February raised her profile outside of Maine.
The 77-year-old has yet to announce her intentions. But she is still considering running, a person familiar with the governor’s thinking told Maine Public last week.
Republicans, meanwhile, are already going after Mills either in anticipation of her joining or as a way of deterring her.
“Maine needs a leader who will stand up for them in the U.S. Senate and Janet Mills isn’t up to the job,” reads a fundraising text message sent by the National Republican Senatorial Committee last week. “Governor Mills’ big government, high tax agenda will take more of your hard-earned money and put it in the hands of unelected bureaucrats.”
Donations would “benefit NRSC and Collins for Senator,” according to the message.
Others keeping options open
Multiple other potential Democratic challengers are also mulling it over.
House Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford confirmed last week that he is still considering it. Attorney General Aaron Frey, who succeeded Mills in that post after she became governor, is also reportedly thinking about running. And former state Sen. Cathy Breen of Falmouth and Maine Beer Co. co-founder Dan Kleban have also said publicly that they might jump in.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that Trump’s team was having private discussions about who should run on Maine’s GOP ticket if Collins drops out of the race. The short article, which quoted anonymous sources, came out one day after Collins voted against starting Senate debate on Trump’s “rescissions” bill to clawback $9 billion in federal funding.
For her part, Collins has said she plans to run. Her campaign raised $2.4 million during the last three-month-long reporting period, leaving her with more than $5 million in her campaign war chest. And as of this week, Collins doesn’t have any challengers in the Republican primary on June 9.
Gubernatorial money race is off and running
Maine’s U.S. Senate race is sure to get the most national attention, given the constant battle for control of the chamber. But Maine voters will also elect Mills’ successor as governor.
Fundraising reports filed last week suggest both parties will have lively primaries next June.
Two Democrats in the race — Bellows of Manchester and Mills advisor Pingree of North Haven — each reported raising more than $500,000 over the span of a few weeks or months. Jackson of Allagash and Angus King III (the son of the senator) raised more than $400,000.
On the Republican side, former naval intelligence officer and assistant U.S. Secretary of State Bobby Charles raised more than $250,000. Businessman Owen McCarthy of Gorham raised just over $200,000 while realtor and agent David Jones of Falmouth raised $149,000. And then state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford, who recently withdrew from the Republican Party in order to run as an independent, reported raising just over $200,000 for the general election.
All that said, the candidates with the most money do not always win in Maine. In fact, both Mills and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage were outspent by multiple opponents before winning their gubernatorial primaries in 2018 and 2010, respectively.
Maine's Political Pulse was written this week by State House correspondent Kevin Miller and produced by news editor Andrew Catalina. Read past editions or listen to the Political Pulse podcast at mainepublic.org/pulse.
