We are writing to give our strongest support to Gov. Janet Mills for senator. She is an energetic, pragmatic, justice-oriented leader with a long history of public service in Maine. A former prosecutor, she was the first woman in New England to be elected a district attorney, the state’s first female attorney general, and in 2019 she became the first female governor of Maine. Her bipartisan leadership style is shaped by common sense and a working-class upbringing.

Mills grew up in rural Maine, delivered newspapers and waited on tables while studying, all of which instilled strong values of hard work and community. As governor she has prioritized expanding access to health care, funding public education, raising teacher pay, investing in workforce training and improving infrastructure like broadband and housing — often with an eye toward supporting rural and underserved communities.

To list just a few of Mills’ accomplishments, in 2019, she signed an executive order to expand Maine’s Medicaid program; that same year, the United Nations secretary general asked Gov. Mills to speak to the U.N.’s General Assembly on climate change, making her the first Maine governor to address that body. On environmental issues, she has banned materials like plastic bags and Styrofoam that damage the environment. In 2022, she signed a law providing free tuition to community college students. She has expanded access to abortion.

In these troubled times, Janet Mills will help provide stability and prosperity to our state and to our country.

Alan and Jean Lightman
Concord, Mass./Harpswell