Augusta, MAINE — Maine Democratic Party Chair Phil Bartlett released the following statement in response to Senator Susan Collins's announcement that she will not run for Governor of Maine in 2018:

“It doesn’t say much for the Maine Republican Party that Susan Collins would rather stay in Washington with a failed President and broken Congress than come home and face a field of far-right politicians hell-bent on pushing extreme policies.

"The Republican field of candidates now represents the fringe of the party, fighting one another for the mantle of who can make healthcare more expensive, who can line the pockets of the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, and who can divide Mainers the most.

"The election next November will be a clear choice between four more years of these backward LePage-Trump policies, or a Democrat who will bring real change to Augusta by focusing on creating jobs, growing our economy, and building a stronger, more prosperous Maine."