Governor Janet Mills is setting an early milestone in her Senate run, as her campaign has announced it raised $1 million in the first 24 hours since launching.
Mills has outstripped rival Graham Platner, who took more than a week to raise $1 million, although he was mostly unknown before generating national attention.
The Mills campaign claims almost all its donations, 98%, were $100 or less, suggesting she has a strong grassroots appeal.
Meanwhile, the Platner campaign says it collected half a million dollars in the first 24 hours after Mills announced her run.
The large haul signals the entry of a well-known establishment Democrat hasn’t diminished the appeal of the previously little-known oysterman.
In addition, the Platner campaign says it’s raised a total of $4.9 million since he entered the race to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in August.
The Maine Senate race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests across the country in next year’s election.
The campaign donations in Maine have been especially large, but have been outdistanced by some larger states. For example, North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper raised $3.4 million in the first 24 hours since his announcement for U.S. Senate back in July.
