The Writing Meets the Wall

Janet Mills yields to the obvious:

Gov. Janet Mills of Maine, the Democratic establishment’s choice to run for the Senate seat long held by Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, suspended her campaign on Thursday, saying she no longer had the financial resources to compete against Graham Platner, a progressive political newcomer.

Her exit paves the way for Mr. Platner, an oysterman who has led her in polls, to become the Democratic nominee in one of the most important Senate races in the country.

“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” Ms. Mills said in a statement.

Her exit is a blow not only to the two-term sitting governor but also to Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and the Democratic Party establishment that he leads. Mr. Schumer, the minority leader, has for almost two decades chosen his party’s Senate candidates with little internal opposition.

I have been pretty careful to not have strong opinions about this race. Many others have not been so careful and did develop strong opinions about how Maine Democrats should comport themselves. But now it is done; barring extraordinary intervention Graham Platner will be the Democratic nominee, running for a seat that the Democrats more or less absolutely need in order to retake a Senate majority.

So, it is what it is. Celebrate or mourn in ways that are appropriate among your people. Fair warning; comments that are effectively pro-Collins (and thus effectively pro-Trump) will be met with very limited tolerance moving forward.