Just when Maine Democrats thought they had settled on a Senate nominee, the political circus rolled back into town.
Gov. Janet Mills — who effectively vanished from the campaign trail after suspending her Senate bid this spring — is suddenly reminding voters of one inconvenient fact: she never actually left the ballot.
That revelation lands at a particularly awkward moment for Democratic frontrunner Graham Platner, whose campaign has spent more time extinguishing scandals than talking about policy.
For months, Democratic insiders treated Platner as the inevitable nominee in the race to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Mills suspended active campaigning in April after fundraising woes stalled her campaign, clearing what looked like a smooth path for the progressive candidate.
But now Mills is signaling that reports of her political demise may have been exaggerated. “People have the impression that I withdrew or dropped out,” Mills told a Maine columnist. “I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.” If Democratic voters are getting cold feet about Platner, they still have another option.
And judging by the steady stream of damaging headlines surrounding the Democratic frontrunner, plenty of voters may be looking for an exit ramp.
Platner’s campaign has become a case study in how many controversies a candidate can survive before voters finally decide enough is enough.
Critics have relentlessly highlighted his past possession of a Totenkopf tattoo, a symbol historically associated with Nazi SS units and concentration camp guards. The issue exploded nationally and continues to shadow his candidacy.
Then came renewed scrutiny over inflammatory online comments, including a resurfaced post in which Platner mocked a Republican veteran who had been severely wounded in combat, attributing the soldier’s survival to Taliban “poor marksmanship.”
The campaign also found itself dragged into another embarrassing episode after a consultant reportedly approached sports media personality Dave Portnoy about joining an anti-private-equity effort targeting the Boston Red Sox ownership group. Portnoy rejected the idea, citing both his Jewish faith and concerns about Platner’s tattoo controversy.
As if that weren’t enough, Democratic voters are increasingly being forced to answer questions about Platner’s judgment rather than his agenda.
That’s what makes Mills’ reemergence so fascinating.
The governor hasn’t launched a full comeback campaign. But she has made it clear that voters still have the ability to select her name on the ballot if they are uncomfortable with the direction of the race.
Meanwhile, some Maine Democrats appear increasingly uneasy with Platner’s nonstop controversies. The concern isn’t merely that Republicans are attacking him. It’s that Platner keeps handing them fresh ammunition.
One Maine political observer recently suggested that voter frustration over Platner’s own actions may be more damaging to his campaign than attacks from wealthy outside interests.
For Collins, the spectacle is a political gift. The veteran Republican has spent years surviving difficult elections by presenting herself as a steady hand while opponents become consumed by self-inflicted distractions.
Now Democrats find themselves facing an uncomfortable question: Did they shove aside a sitting governor only to rally behind a candidate whose campaign has become synonymous with controversy?
Mills may have suspended her campaign. But as she just reminded Maine voters, suspension isn’t withdrawal.
And with primary day approaching, Democrats suddenly have to decide whether they’re comfortable betting their Senate hopes on a candidate whose biggest political challenge is no longer selling his message — it’s explaining his baggage.
