Graham Platner Leads Maine Primary After Janet Mills Suspends Campaign

This is a lightly edited transcript of the April 30 edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon. Watch the video here or follow the show on YouTube or Substack.

Breaking News: Janet Mills Suspends Maine Primary Campaign

Perry Bacon: Good morning, everybody. I’m Perry Bacon, host of the New Republic show Right Now. We have some breaking news—this is unusual for today. Our guest is Alex Seitz-Wald, deputy editor of the Midcoast Villager, a Maine-based newspaper. He was scheduled to discuss Janet Mills versus Graham Platner, but the race has effectively ended.

Governor Janet Mills has suspended her primary campaign, conceding that Graham Platner is leading and likely to win. Alex covered the story for the Midcoast Villager and joins us now.

Alex Seitz-Wald: Hey, Perry. Thanks for having me. The news gods must have known we had this scheduled and dropped it right before we went live.

Mills’ Decision: Financial Struggles or Strategic Retreat?

Bacon: This happened around 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Mills released a statement or gave an interview indicating she ran out of money. Is it financial exhaustion or a strategic retreat ahead of an inevitable loss?

The primary is June 9, and Mills has trailed in polls for months.

Seitz-Wald: This is a massive, unexpected development. I’ve followed this race closely—I’m shocked by it. The money issue is real. In politics, candidates don’t drop out due to bad press or polling unless it’s extreme, like Eric Swalwell’s case. It’s when the money runs out.

Mills was outspent and outraised two-to-one by Platner. She pulled all digital ads last week and TV ads earlier. The signs were clear.

Polling and Yard Signs: A Clear Trend

Seitz-Wald: I noticed something today while driving my daughter to school. I always count yard signs, and I saw one new Janet Mills sign—bringing the total to three I’ve seen. Meanwhile, there are dozens of Graham Platner signs. I pass 25 to 30 before seeing a single Mills sign.

Polling has consistently shown Platner ahead by varying margins. On Friday, the gap was around three points.

Bacon: Some polls showed a 15-point lead, others just three. The numbers have fluctuated a lot.

Seitz-Wald: Primary polling is volatile, especially in races like this where turnout is unpredictable. The methods used can skew results.

«This is a massive, totally unexpected development. I’ve been following this race closely—I’m shocked, honestly, by this.»