Gov. Janet Mills has dropped out of a planned midcoast debate featuring Maine’s Democrat U.S. Senate candidates, organizers said Sunday.
Colin Woodard, identifying himself as the moderator, was quoted in a social-media post that Mills has cancelled her scheduled faceoff with Graham Platner.
The matchup organized by area Democrat groups has been set for April 11 in Topsham at Orion Performing Arts Center.
“Mills just pulled out of the debate,” Woodard announced Sunday. “Scheduling conflict I’m told.”
He called it “disappointing for primary voters and maybe not optimal if you’re behind by 30 points in the polls.”
“We’ll be there, and whenever the schedule allows, we look forward to having a conversation with the governor about issues Mainers care about,” Platner posted Sunday night on X.
“This is the second debate with Platner that Mills has dodged because of a ‘scheduling conflict,’” said Nathan Bernard, who describes himself as an independent journalist.
Drop Site News, quoting Bernard as its source, said Mills has also cited a scheduling conflict for an April 16 forum hosted by Penobscot Nation.
The Mills campaign recently said she’d committed to five debates, including two set to be televised, ahead of the party’s June 9 primary.
Three Democrats have qualified for the primary ballot, including David Costello of Brunswick.
