Shocking New Poll Reveals Janet Mills Falling Behind in Maine's 2026 Senate Race

Maine Governor Janet Mills has signed a sweeping child-care affordability bill that state officials say will cut or eliminate copayments for thousands of low- and middle-income families while guaranteeing higher reimbursement rates for providers. Under the new law, the Department of Health and Human Services must waive copays for families earning up to 30 percent of Maine’s median income, children in foster or kinship care, and households experiencing homelessness or raising a child with a disability. It also ends the controversial policy of paying providers only for days a child is present, instead reimbursing based on enrollment—a change advocates argue will stabilize Maine’s understaffed child-care sector. The statute takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns on April 15. The legislation arrives less than two months after Mills used her 2026 State of the State address to call child-care costs “a hidden tax on every working parent” and to promise relief this session. Child-care fees in Maine average nearly $11,000 a year for an infant, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a figure that eclipses in-state tuition at the University of Maine and ranks among the highest household expenses after housing and health care. Economic analysts note the law could boost labor-force participation at a time when Maine’s unemployment rate is hovering near historic lows and many industries report persistent staffing shortages. “Reducing out-of-pocket costs for parents effectively adds workers back into the economy,” said Bowdoin College economist Sarah Smith. Providers, meanwhile, anticipate that enrollment-based subsidies will allow them to hire and retain qualified staff instead of absorbing financial hits when children are absent. The political stakes for Janet Mills The popular Democrat is term-limited in 2026, and political insiders say the successful push on child care—an issue that polls high with suburban parents—could serve as a springboard for a widely rumored U.S. Senate campaign next year. Observers have long speculated that Mills might challenge Republican incumbent Susan Collins, who has not yet said whether she will retire or seek a sixth term. Strategists in both parties also point out that the new child-care law offers Mills a tangible accomplishment to tout on the trail if she runs: a pocket-book issue that crosses partisan lines and directly addresses Maine’s aging demographics by helping young families stay in the state. What happens next • DHHS will publish updated copay tables online within 60 days. • Child-care centers may begin applying for enrollment-based subsidies this summer. • Legislative committees will receive the first cost-impact report by January 2027. For parents like Bangor resident Maria Lopez, the changes can’t arrive soon enough. “Our copay is $145 a week—almost a second mortgage,” she said. “If Governor Mills can cut that in half, we’ll finally be able to start saving for a house.” With signature ink barely dry, Janet Mills is already scheduling town-hall meetings to explain the rollout. Whether those forums double as soft-launches for a Senate bid remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: child-care affordability just became the centerpiece of Maine’s 2026 political conversation—and Janet Mills put herself in the middle of it.