Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Janet Mills

Discover the career path of Janet Mills, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Janet Trafton Mills is an American politician and lawyer currently serving as the 75th Governor of Maine, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to her role as governor, Mills served as Maine's Attorney General for four nonconsecutive two-year terms, from 2009-2011 and again from 2013-2019. Her career has primarily been focused on law and public service within the state of Maine.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1966: First to win at least 50% of the vote for a first term since Kenneth M. Curtis

Mills was the first Maine gubernatorial candidate to be elected with at least 50% of the vote for a first term since Kenneth M. Curtis in 1966

1974: Summer Intern for ACLU

In 1974, Janet Mills served as a summer intern in Washington, D.C., for civil rights attorney Charles Morgan Jr. of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

1976: Graduated with Juris Doctor and Admitted to the Bar

In 1976, Janet Mills graduated with a Juris Doctor degree and was admitted to the bar.

1976: Appointed Assistant Attorney General

In 1976, Janet Mills was appointed as Maine's first female criminal prosecutor by Governor Joe Brennan and became an assistant attorney general, serving from 1976 to 1980, prosecuting homicides and other major crimes.

1980: Elected District Attorney

In 1980, Janet Mills was elected district attorney for Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, becoming the first woman district attorney in New England. She was reelected to this position three times.

1994: Unsuccessful Congressional Run

In 1994, Janet Mills was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Congress in Maine's 2nd congressional district, losing the Democratic primary to John Baldacci.

1998: Elected to Maine Women's Lobby Board

In 1998, Janet Mills co-founded the Maine Women's Lobby and was elected to its board of directors.

1998: First Maine gubernatorial candidate to be elected with at least 50% of the vote since Angus King

Mills was the first Maine gubernatorial candidate to be elected with at least 50% of the vote since Angus King in 1998.

2000: Field Coordinator for Bill Bradley Campaign

In 2000, Janet Mills served as a field coordinator for Bill Bradley's 2000 presidential campaign in Maine.

2002: Elected to Maine House of Representatives

In 2002, Janet Mills was elected to the Maine House of Representatives and served on the judiciary, criminal justice, and appropriations committees.

2004: Re-elected to Maine House of Representatives

In 2004, Janet Mills was re-elected to the Maine House of Representatives.

2006: Re-elected to Maine House of Representatives

In 2006, Janet Mills was re-elected to the Maine House of Representatives.

2006: Peter Mills III Runs for Governor

In 2006, Peter Mills III, Janet Mills' brother, ran for Governor of Maine but was eliminated in the primaries.

December 2008: Elected Attorney General

In December 2008, Janet Mills was elected to her fourth term as attorney general by the Joint Convention.

2008: Re-elected to Maine House of Representatives

In 2008, Janet Mills was re-elected to the Maine House of Representatives.

January 6, 2009: Became Maine's 55th Attorney General

On January 6, 2009, Janet Mills became Maine's 55th attorney general.

2010: Peter Mills III Runs for Governor Again

In 2010, Peter Mills III, Janet Mills' brother, again ran for Governor of Maine but was eliminated in the primaries for the second time.

2010: Not Reelected Attorney General

In 2010, when Republicans gained control of the Maine legislature, Janet Mills was not reelected as attorney general.

January 2011: Elected Vice Chair of Maine Democratic Party

In January 2011, Janet Mills was elected vice chair of the Maine Democratic Party.

February 2011: Joined Preti Flaherty Law Firm

In February 2011, Janet Mills joined the law firm Preti Flaherty as a lawyer with the firm's Litigation Group in its Augusta office.

2012: Democrats Regain Control of Legislature

In 2012, after Democrats regained control of the legislature, Janet Mills was again chosen as attorney general.

January 7, 2013: Took Oath of Office as Attorney General

On January 7, 2013, Janet Mills resigned as vice chair of the Maine Democratic Party and took the oath of office as attorney general.

December 3, 2014: Re-elected Attorney General

On December 3, 2014, Janet Mills was re-elected as attorney general, despite the Maine Senate coming under Republican control.

July 10, 2017: Announced Candidacy for Governor

On July 10, 2017, Janet Mills announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for governor of Maine in 2018.

2017: Ordered the expansion of Maine's Medicaid program

One of Janet Mills's first acts as governor was to sign an executive order to carry out the expansion of Maine's Medicaid program as called for by a 2017 referendum.

May 2019: Signed Bill Banning Conversion Therapy

In May 2019, Janet Mills signed a bill banning conversion therapy, the pseudoscientific practice aimed at changing one's sexual orientation, from being used on minors.

September 2019: Addressed UN General Assembly on Climate Change

In September 2019, Janet Mills spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on climate change, at the request of Secretary-General António Guterres. She announced Maine's intention to become carbon neutral by 2045.

2019: Signed Legislation to Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags

In 2019, Janet Mills signed legislation to ban single-use plastic bags.

2019: Signed Central Maine Power Company Agreement

In 2019, despite initial skepticism, Janet Mills signed an agreement granting the Central Maine Power Company all necessary permissions to begin work on a corridor running from Beattie Township to a power grid in Lewiston, Maine, due to changes to the budget.

January 1, 2021: Ban on Styrofoam Containers Effective

On January 1, 2021, the ban on the use of styrofoam containers by various industries within the state, which Janet Mills signed into law in 2019, became effective.

April 20, 2022: Signed Maine State Supplemental Budget into Law

On April 20, 2022, Janet Mills signed into law the Maine state supplemental budget, which included free community college for students of the class of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

December 2022: Mills Said She Doesn't Plan to Run for Anything Else

In December 2022, a month after her reelection as governor, Mills told the Portland Press Herald she did not "plan to run for anything else".

2022: Reaffirmed Position on Women's Rights

After the leak of the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Janet Mills reaffirmed her position that "unlike an apparent majority of the Supreme Court, I do not consider the rights of women to be dispensable."

2022: Re-elected as Governor

In 2022, Janet Mills ran for and won re-election as governor of Maine, defeating former governor Paul LePage. She received over 376,934 votes, setting a new record for the most votes ever cast for a gubernatorial candidate.

2023: Elected Co-chair of Climate Alliance

In 2023, Janet Mills was elected co-chair of the bipartisan Climate Alliance.

November 2024: Consideration of Senate Run Reported

In November 2024, the Portland Press Herald reported that Mills would not rule out a 2026 campaign for Maine's United States Senate seat held by Susan Collins.