The Find Out Podcast

Episode: "Can Janet Mills Beat Susan Collins?"

Date: December 18, 2025
Guest: Governor Janet Mills (D-ME), U.S. Senate candidate
Hosts: Find Out Podcast team (Host, Co-host Rich, et al.)

Overview

This high-energy, candid episode welcomes Maine Governor Janet Mills, who is running for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. The conversation dives into the stakes for Maine and the country under Trump’s second term, the impact of recent federal policies on healthcare and rural communities, and Mills’ argument that Maine deserves a Senator with courage—not just "concern." The hosts and Mills trade insight, stats, and plenty of irreverence, all while exploring what real leadership looks like as the 2026 midterms loom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ACA Tax Credits and Healthcare Crisis in Maine

• [01:08] Mills reacts to recent news: four House Republicans joined Democrats to support extending ACA tax credits.
• Mills: Over 60,000 Mainers rely on these tax credits, including small business owners, gig workers, and the self-employed. If credits expire, premiums would “triple, in some cases quadruple.”

  "I’ve worked my tail off in state government as governor to expand health care in Maine and reduce the uninsured rate down to about 5%." — Janet Mills [01:57]

• Mills expanded Medicaid for 100,000 Mainers on her first day as governor.
• Calls the GOP Medicaid cuts and tax credit expiration “devastating,” especially in such an old, rural state.

2. The “Big Bad Bill” and Republican Policy Fallout

• Hosts dub recent GOP legislation the “big bullshit bill” for stripping healthcare from vulnerable communities.
• [04:01] Mills says the bill is causing “massive pain and suffering” in rural Maine—potentially closing hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.

  "Our small hospitals in the rural areas are really struggling and nursing homes...they're hurting too. The big bad bill depletes the Medicaid accounts...and the nursing homes and hospitals and freestanding clinics are going to shut their doors." — Mills [04:21]

• Mills promises to fight for restoration of these funds in the Senate.

3. Healthcare Affordability — By the Numbers

• [05:40] Co-host Rich shares: Without ACA enhancements, a family of four could see premiums spike from $11,000 to $27,000/year in Maine—a 147% increase.

  "This is not 'skip your daily Starbucks.' This is two more kids in daycare for the full year." — Rich [06:39]

• Mills ties health costs to overall affordability and slams Trump’s tariffs for spiking construction and housing prices, worsening Maine’s housing crisis.

4. Mills v. Collins — Who Has Real Courage?

• [08:12] The hosts tackle Collins’ image as a "moderate":

  "She’s failed to show courage...She failed to show courage when she had a chance to stand up to Brett Kavanaugh...She could have shown courage when she voted instead for Robert F. Kennedy Jr." — Mills [09:19]

• Mills accuses Collins of “concern without courage,” arguing she only votes the right way when GOP leadership allows it and when her vote isn’t needed.
• Cites Collins’ votes on abortion, gender care, and blocking efforts to curtail Trump’s aggressive foreign policies (e.g., Venezuela).

5. Standing Up to Trump: That White House Moment

• [13:49] Recounting her confrontation with Trump over trans athletes/executive order:

  "He said, 'We are the law.' That was a jaw dropping moment...as an American lawyer and as an American go, no, you’re not. That’s when I said, 'I’ll see you in court.'" — Mills [14:47]

• NYT's headline afterwards: “Something happened in the White House today that has never happened before. Somebody stood up to Donald Trump to his face.”

6. Addressing Concerns About Age and Running for Senate

• [17:56] Mills notes she would be the oldest freshman Senator:

  "I’m not running for this job to climb a career ladder...I know I could beat Susan Collins, take back the Senate, and change the course of history. I’m running for one term...I will use my voice to make things happen in the next few years because these are the most critical years in our nation’s history." — Mills [18:08]

7. Mills on Campaigns, Electoral Success, & Reaching Rural Voters

• [24:15] She’s from Farmington (heart of 2nd District), won four legislative races, attorney general, and two statewide governor races. Beat LePage "everywhere, including his hometown."
• She emphasizes her work brokering bipartisan solutions—especially on guns.

  "We got people around the table...We put a bill in the legislature. That bill got a unanimous vote in the state Senate, 35 to zip...Who does that on a gun bill?" — Mills [25:12]

8. On Transparency, Tattoos, and Winning Statewide

• [20:11] In a tongue-in-cheek exchange referencing another politician's scandal, Mills quips:

  "Not today." — Mills, on secret Nazi tattoos [20:11]

• Mills contrasts herself with prior candidates who failed to win statewide and touts her open-book record.

9. Lighter Moments and Maine Culture

• Mills on beer: Refuses to name a favorite Maine brew for fear of alienating breweries.
• Her answers to Maine "loyalty" questions:
  • Lobster roll? Hellman’s mayo [29:41]
  • Moxie (local soda)? "Oh, no, I don't like it...between root beer and gasoline with some dirt thrown in." [30:27]
  • Best shipbuilders? Bath, Maine [30:44]
• Stephen King: Wishes for his endorsement, picks “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” as favorite [28:03]

10. COVID-19 Leadership & Closing Reflections

• [32:19] Host thanks Mills for her leadership during COVID, protecting Mainers even amid partisan pushback.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:57] "I’ve worked my tail off in state government as governor to expand health care in Maine and reduce the uninsured rate down to about 5%." — Janet Mills
• [09:19] "Concern is one thing, courage is quite another. She’s failed to show courage..." — Janet Mills on Susan Collins
• [14:47] "He said, 'We are the law.' That was a jaw dropping moment...That's when I said, 'I'll see you in court.'" — Janet Mills describing her face-off with Trump
• [18:08] "I’m not running for the Senate to climb a career ladder...I'm running for one term because I got a pretty powerful voice and I will use my voice to make things happen..." — Janet Mills
• [20:11] "Not today." — Janet Mills, in response to joking question about secret Nazi tattoos

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:08] – Critical ACA tax credits and direct impact on Mainers
• [04:01] – Rural hospital/nursing home closures fallout from GOP bill
• [05:40] – Family-specific premium hikes explained with numbers
• [09:19] – Mills’ argument vs. Susan Collins: Concern vs. Courage
• [14:47] – Mills recounts publicly defying Trump (“We are the law”)
• [17:56] – Addressing age and making the case for her candidacy
• [24:15] – Rural outreach, campaign record, bipartisan policy wins
• [29:41] – Light Maine cultural questions (lobster roll, Moxie, shipbuilding)
• [32:19] – Applause for Mills’ COVID-19 response and leadership

Tone & Style Highlights

The episode is relentlessly direct, funny, and passionate—mixing policy depth with Maine cultural trivia, and irreverent jokes among friends. The hosts and Mills alike are unafraid to swear, name names, and call out hypocrisy.

Conclusion

Governor Janet Mills makes a vigorous case for why she—and not Susan Collins—is the champion Maine needs during a precarious era for healthcare, economic fairness, and American democracy. The episode melds policy substance, local identity, and charisma, delivering clear reasons why Maine’s 2026 Senate race is among the most consequential in the country.

“I can beat Susan Collins. Did I say that?” — Janet Mills [22:57]