Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters crowded Democratic race to unseat Susan Collins
toggle caption Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Tuesday that she'll enter the race to defeat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a top target in national Democrats' bid to regain the Senate.
Mills was recruited by Democratic Senate leaders after her high-profile confrontation with President Donald Trump in February over transgender athletes, a dispute that triggered a wave of retaliatory moves by his administration against the state. The exchange is featured in her launch ad.
"My life's work has prepared me for this fight and I'm ready to win," Mills says in the video. "This election will be a simple choice: Is Maine going to bow down or stand up. I know my answer."
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In an interview, Mills said the interaction was a "jaw-dropping" moment that showcased Trump's monarch-like aspirations. She said it also pushed her to consider running for a Senate seat that she previously hadn't wanted.
"When I was a little girl growing up in Farmington, my father always said you have to stand up to bullies.
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