For many in Maine, there are no tears over Mills’ exit from the Senate race

A little over a year ago, Democratic voters in Maine were cheering for Gov. Janet Mills after she spoke with President Trump in a meeting at the White House. But on Thursday, when Ms. Mills suddenly announced she was dropping out of the U.S. Senate race, the governor’s supporters were hard to find.

Voters watched as Ms. Mills, 78, struggled to gain power in the Democratic primary they said they were not surprised — and, in many cases, relieved — to see him out. The group included progressives who support his younger, left-leaning opponent, Graham Platner, 41, and conservatives who support Senator Susan Collins, a longtime Republican.

“It’s time for the next generation to come in and take over,” said Jim Gerritsen, 71, a potato farmer in Bridgewater, Maine, near the Canadian border.

The withdrawal of Ms. Mills left Mr. Platner, an Iraq War veteran and oyster farmer, as the Democratic nominee, quickly shifted the focus of the June primary to the battle to defeat Ms. Collins in November.

Voters on both sides say it is difficult to predict the outcome, as Mr. Platner rising unexpectedly and quickly. He has survived a few scandals, but that has left some voters worried that more may be revealed. At the same time, even many longtime supporters of Ms. Collins, 73, expressed dismay at her age and longevity.

“It’s going to be a tight race,” said Barney Rich, 68, as he worked behind the counter at Mike’s Fish Market and Lobster Pound in Wells, Maine, where a sign in the front window advertised “Hot Chowder” and Coors Light. “The voters will decide.”

Mr. Rich plans to vote for Ms. Collins, but wishes he had more options. “I don’t think a person should work more than two times,” he said. “I would like to see a new, younger person.”

His co-worker at the fish market, Nicholas Staples, 29, said he was not sure yet, but he was happy to see Ms. Mills bow. “Anyone but him,” she said. “The majority of the state are not fans, from what I’ve seen.”

Ms. Mills, who went from district attorney to attorney general to governor, the first woman in Maine to serve in those roles, grew up in conservative Franklin County and has been politically active on issues, especially gun rights. That placement helped him succeed in a divided environment, while at times disappointing liberal and progressive voters.

Recent polls showed Ms Mills trailing well behind Mr. Platner. In his announcement Thursday, he said the decision was due to a lack of campaign funds, “which is unfortunately one thing that political campaigns today need.”

Across the state, where voters lean more conservative in the rural north and more liberal in the populous south, people interviewed in the cold spring rain on Thursday shared varying concerns about Ms. Mills’ leadership. For some, his age was enough to interfere with their support.

“I felt that his age was difficult,” said Jane Putnam, 74, of Houlton. “If it wasn’t for that, I would feel differently about him leaving school.”

Alice Kerr Laird, 77, a retired Lutheran minister from York, echoed similar sentiments. “I always liked the governor, and I started thinking, ‘I’m definitely going to vote for him,'” she said. “But I was concerned about how old he is, and I’m disappointed in the campaign he’s running.”

As her despair at the state of the federal government grew in recent months, Ms. Laird said, “that’s when I felt really drawn to the idea that we just need to change all this chaos.”

Some were concerned that Ms. Mills’ history of conflict with the Trump administration could limit her ability to succeed in the Senate.

“I didn’t think Janet Mills would be a good senator, especially for Native Americans,” said Richard Silliboy, 79, a former deputy chief of the Mi’kmaq Nation who lives in Littleton, northern Maine, and is still undecided about who he will vote for in November. “I think, in the next two years, it would be difficult for Maine with the relationship that he and Trump had.”

Mr. Gerritsen, a potato farmer who supports Mr. Platner, said he saw Ms. Mills as “part of the Democratic Party’s closest corporate wing,” and that it was time for “candidates to put the interests of the public first before everything else.”

Bev Chapman, 60, a baker in Houlton who supports Mr. Platner, he agreed – even as he praised Ms. Mills.

“He was the great governor of Maine,” said Ms.

In her statement on Thursday, Ms. Mills closed with the assurance that she loves the state. “To the people of Maine: I love you, and I will continue to fight for you tirelessly as your Governor,” he wrote.

Monique Vallee, 56, from Ogunquit, who has been supporting Ms. Mills for a long time and who said she would support her in the Senate, said that message is true, adding that she was saddened by the governor’s announcement.

“He loves Maine,” said Ms. Vallee. “I may not agree with everything he does, but he loves Maine.”

Murray Carpenter contributed reporting from Lewiston, Maine