How Janet Mills was boxed out of the Maine Senate race by Graham Platner’s rise | CNN Politics

By the time Maine Gov. Janet Mills launched her Senate campaign in October, Graham Platner was already drawing large crowds and raising impressive amounts of money. The then-77-year-old governor was running for office at a time when many in her party were agitating for generational change. But Mills supporters – including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – thought she could prevail with a pitch for electability based on her statewide name recognition, backing from Senate Democratic leadership and a tidal wave of opposition research on Platner. They were wrong, and on Thursday, Mills ended her campaign weeks before the June 9 primary. She cited difficulties raising money, but the decision also revealed how Democrats are spurning traditional politicians in the midterms for untested outsiders who are promising to take a more aggressive stance toward President Donald Trump. Platner struck a gracious tone, applauding Mills’ long record of public service and their shared dedication to defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins. But some of his supporters were openly ecstatic about his improbable triumph over Mills. “My feet aren’t even on the ground,” state Rep. Valli Geiger