Maine Gov. Mills, 77, won't release medical records as age become issue in Senate race

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, won't commit to release her medical records in her 2026 bid for Senate, Axios has learned, as her Democratic primary opponents call for a new generation of leadership in Congress. Why it matters: If she wins, Mills would be the oldest first-term senator elected in U.S. history — 79 when she'd take office in January 2027. Congress now has more members over 70 than any time since at least 1950, increasing scrutiny on their fitness for office.Three members of Congress have died in office this year, and others appear to be in failing health.Mills — who has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74 — is stepping into a generational battle within her party, as young progressives seek to push out the older establishment in the aftermath of former President Biden's failed reelection bid.Zoom in: Mills is trying to unseat Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R), Democrats' top target in the Senate next year. Mills' opponents for the Democratic nomination already are seizing on her age, more than seven months before next June's primary.One of her opponents, 41-year-old military veteran Graham Platner, has aired a TV ad touting him as "strong" and asking, "Janet Mills again? She was a good governor, but I think it's time for change."The campaign for 36-year-old progressive Jordan Wood recently conducted a focus group of about 40 people in the Portland and Bangor areas, where Democratic voters said they were proud of Mills but thought she was too old to run for a six-year Senate term.Mills has sought to ease concerns about her age by saying she wouldn't serve more than one term in the Senate. Mills' allies also have argued that Collins turns 74 next year, and Maine re-elected Sen. Angus King, 81, to his third term last year.What they're saying: Mills spokesperson Scott Ogden said she "is in excellent health, as Maine people know and see every day" and that she "looks forward to campaigning vigorously."Wood, a former Capitol Hill staffer, told Axios: "I plan to release my medical records by the end of the year and hopefully sooner. Mainers deserve full confidence that their next senator is in good health and ready to do the job."Platner, who has said he has dealt with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury from his tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, declined to commit to release his medical records.A spokesperson for Collins also did not commit to release her medical records. The big picture: As the average age of members of Congress has gone up, a rising number of politicians have had declining health while in office — and sometimes have tried to hide their conditions. In 2024, powerful, longtime Republican Rep. Kay Granger secretly checked into an assisted-living facility in Texas for "dementia issues" and continued to collect a congressional paycheck for months. Washington, D.C.'s 88-year-old representative Eleanor Holmes Norton was recently swindled out of thousands of dollars and a police report on the incident described her as having "early stages of dementia" — which her office denies.Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein of California ran for reelection and continued to serve despite obvious signs of mental and physical decline before she died in office at 90 years old in 2023. Three House Democrats died in office this year, leaving the party without critical votes in the closely divided chamber. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 83, has had troubling brain freezes in public in recent years and is serving out his term through next year. It's not just Congress. Biden's advisers shielded his decline in office, while President Trump refused to release his medical records in the 2024 campaign and has recently been seen with swollen ankles and bruising on his hand. Trump's team said he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency and that his hand bruising is because of "frequent handshaking."Between the lines: Congressional candidates must detail their financial histories but there aren't required to release their medical records — and few do so.Many worry about any past health episodes being turned into attacks by political opponents.

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