Maine Gov. Janet Mills drops out of Democratic primary race United States Senate On Thursday, she revealed the immediate reason why she was short of money.
“While I have the drive and passion to keep going, the commitment and experience, and most importantly – the fight, unfortunately, I simply don’t have the one thing it takes to run politically today: the financial resources,” she said in a statement released Thursday. “That’s why today I made the extremely difficult decision to suspend my campaign for U.S. Senate.”
Her exit now makes it easier for Graham Platner to run against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Plattner was an Army and Marine Corps veteran who became an oyster farmer.
Is the funding gap too large to overcome?
From the beginning, Mills faced serious funding challenges. In the first quarter of this year, Plattner raised $4.1 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million, CNN reported.
By the end of March, Mills’ campaign had largely stopped running television ads, NBC News reported, a clear sign that she was running out of advertising dollars for White Plattner.
This gap shows up in opinion polls as well. A University of New Hampshire poll in February showed Plattner leading Mills, 64 percent to 26 percent.
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Does age have an impact on the game?
Mills’ age also became an issue during the campaign. If she wins, the 78-year-old will become the oldest person in U.S. history to be elected to the Senate for the first time.
She reportedly tried to allay concerns by saying she would only serve one term, but focus groups showed some Democratic voters remain unsure and view Platner, 41, as a stronger candidate in the general election despite the controversy. nbc news.
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What happens now?
With Mills now out, Democratic leaders quickly pivoted to support Plattner. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand say Susan Collins has “never been more vulnerable” and pledge to help defeat her. CNN.
Republicans, however, criticized Plattner. Tim Scott said: “Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats just crowned a liar who is too extreme for Maine. Susan Collins has always worked hard for her constituents and delivered. Washington Democrats have always failed in Maine and will fail again because they just nominated a dishonest radical.”
Collins responded cautiously: “I’m sure this is a very difficult decision for Gov. Mills. I wish her the best. She has dedicated her life to public service in Maine in many different capacities.” When asked about Plattner, she said: “I do not plan to run in the November election right now.”
