AUGUSTA, Maine – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner issued a statement Thursday praising Gov. Janet Mills’ public service and signaling his intention to unify Democrats following her decision to suspend her campaign for U.S. Senate.

In a written statement released shortly after Mills announced she was stepping aside from the race due to financial constraints, Platner thanked the governor for her decades of service to Maine.

“Janet Mills has dedicated her career to this beautiful state. We are all eternally grateful for her service to Maine as Governor, Attorney General, district attorney, and in the legislature,” Platner said.

Platner emphasized that both he and Mills entered the race with the shared goal of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, and he indicated he hopes to work alongside Mills moving forward.

“We both got into this race because we knew how critical defeating Susan Collins is. And her decision today reflects that commitment. I look forward to working with her between now and November to do just that,” Platner said.

Throughout his statement, Platner framed his campaign as part of a broader grassroots movement, arguing that his candidacy represents working Mainers across a range of industries and communities.

“This race has never been about me or about any one person. It’s about a movement of working Mainers who are fed up with being robbed by billionaires and the politicians they own, and who are taking back their power,” he said.

Platner pointed to several groups he said are driving the momentum behind his campaign, including fishermen, rural residents, workers, and seniors.

“This movement came out of a whole lot of somewheres,” Platner wrote. “From lobstermen who’ve worked too hard for too long only to be pushed to the brink. From towns where the closest hospital is hours away. Workers who pay more in taxes than billionaires. Loggers who are a mill closure away from bankruptcy. Young people who want to own a home to call their own. Seniors ready to demand the dignity they deserve.”

He also argued that Maine communities have been steadily weakened over time, using imagery of industries and institutions disappearing piece by piece.

“For decades they have taken. Piece by piece. Store by store. Hospital by hospital. Shore by shore,” Platner wrote. “They took so much they began to think we didn’t even exist at all. They don’t know Maine. They don’t know the power we have here.”

Platner concluded his statement with a call to action, signaling that his campaign will shift into a general-election posture following Mills’ withdrawal.

“We’re taking back what’s ours,” he said.

Mills’ decision to suspend her campaign effectively clears the Democratic primary field, positioning Platner as the party’s nominee to challenge Collins in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.