What Janet Mills' fall signals for the Democratic Party's future: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to From the Politics Desk , a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, Jonathan Allen digs into Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ abrupt exit from the Maine Senate primary. Plus, we examine the ripple effects from yesterday’s major Supreme Court ruling on redistricting.
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— Adam Wollner
What Janet Mills' fall signals for the Democratic Party's future
Analysis by Jonathan Allen
Janet Millswas the kind of candidate it was easy for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the rest of the D.C. establishment to get behind.
As Maine’s second-term governor, she had recently demonstrated her statewide electability. She had an established fundraising base, which meant that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and its national donors wouldn’t have to pull her campaign bus along. And Mills had been vetted by voters and could present a left-of-center, but not extremist challenge to moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collinsin a state that otherwise has a blueish hue.
But as is often the case, the good-on-paper candidate turned out to be a paper tiger.
Mills withdrew from the Senate race today , bowing to the reality that she was on her way to a sound defeat — not to Collins, but to Democratic primary opponent Graham Platner.
The 41-year-old upstart Platner, an instant darling of the political left, presents a split screen for Democrats: some see the rough-edged populist oyster farmer and veteran as a fantasy pick; others see a walking nightmare.
These contrasting views of Platner have touched off a fierce debate within the Democratic Party. On one side, establishment centrists have trouble seeing past the tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol he had covered up or the past controversial Reddit posts and worry that his progressive politics will hand Collins a sixth term. On the other, a mixed coalition of Democrats — populists, younger voters and party regulars who are disaffected by the failures of the establishment to win and keep power — hope that he can defeat Collins and widen the party’s tent while doing it.
Mills, 78, dropped out, she said, because she couldn’t raise money against Platner. Through the end of March, Platner had brought in $12 million over the course of his campaign. Mills — again, the sitting governor of the state — raised less than half that much.
The November election in Maine, one of a handful of races that will determine which party controls the Senate in the next Congress, instantly becomes a proxy for the national debate about the direction of the Democratic Party — yet another test of the left and the outsiders against the center and the insiders.
Its outcome will surely help inform the way Democrats look at their field of candidates for the 2028 presidential nomination. But Mills’ exit is already a victory for the Bernie Sanderswing of the Democratic Party, a rejection of Schumer-style candidates, and a problem for the GOP. If Mills couldn’t beat Platner, there’s little reason to think she would have stacked up well against Collins. And now, in addition to presenting as a young outsider to a 73-year-old incumbent, Platner is an underdog who slayed a political Goliath.
Can he knock off a governor and a senator in a single cycle? If he can, Platner will become a celebrity on the left and Exhibit A in the case that Democrats should look to the left in 2028. If he can’t, establishment centrists will hold him up as a reason to run to the middle — even if Mills was never the answer.
Redistricting ruling fallout: Louisiana delays House primaries while Senate contest moves forward as planned
By Ben Kamisar and Melanie Zanona
Louisiana is delaying the state’s May 16 House primaries to give lawmakers time to redraw their congressional map after the Supreme Court struck down the current district lines.But all other races, including the state’s hotly contested Senate primary, "will continue as scheduled," according to Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry.
Absentee voting for the May 16 primary is already underway in Louisiana, and early voting had been set to start for all races this weekend. The last-minute move means that the House contests will still be on voters’ ballots, but any votes in those elections won’t count.
The move to halt voting for the House primaries could face legal scrutiny. But Republicans are confident they’ll be able to press pause on the process because the Supreme Court’s ruling directly labeled Louisiana’s congressional lines an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
In response, Republican lawmakers are set to draw lines eliminating at least one of the state’s two Democratic-held districts, starting with the one currently held by Rep. Cleo Fields, whose district is at the center of the court challenge. The only other Democrat in the delegation is Rep. Troy Carter, who represents much of New Orleans and communities to its west.
In the Senate primary, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidyfaces a crowded field that includes Rep. Julia Letlow, who has Trump’s endorsement. In a Truth Social post today, Trump urged “all of the Great Republican People of Louisiana” to vote Cassidy “OUT OF OFFICE.”
Tennessee:Other GOP-led states with majority-minority districts, particularly in the South, are continuing to weigh whether they have time to redraw their congressional boundaries before the midterms. In another Truth Social post , Trump said that Tennessee Gov. Bill Leetold him “he would work hard” to put a new map in place in his state, which currently has one Democratic district based in Memphis. Tennessee’s primary is slated for Aug. 6.
🗞️ Today's other top stories
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☑️ The ayes have it:The House approved a Senate-passed bill that would fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the record 75-day shutdown of the agency. Meanwhile, the House and Senate both approved a 45-day clean extension of the spy program known as FISA Section 702 to give them more time to negotiate a longer-term extension with reforms.
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🏛️ War and peace:House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that it is not necessary for Congress to weigh in on the Trump administration’s military action in Iran because the U.S. is currently “not at war.” During a Senate hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the current ceasefire “pauses” the 60-day clock on congressional authorization for war.
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🩺 Means to end:Trump announced a new surgeon general nominee, Dr. Nicole Saphier, putting an end to months of speculation about whether the Senate would confirm his prior pick, Dr. Casey Means. Read more →
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📈 New frontiers:The Senate passed a resolution to ban members and staff from trading on prediction markets. Read more →
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➡️ WHCD shooting:For many members of Congress, Saturday’s shooting was a chilling reminder of not only the threats they face, but also some of the security gaps with which they still contend — especially when they leave Capitol Hill. Read more →
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👍 Confidence man:Trump is happy with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s performance in the job as he became the second Justice Department leader in seven months to secure an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. Read more →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
