Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Well as we all know, last week, the American people participated in a sacred tradition that is the foundation of our democracy – the election of the next President and the Vice President of the United States.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise to most of you that I was hoping Vice President Kamala Harris and my friend, Governor Tim Walz, would win that election.

But, as the Rolling Stones famously said, “You can’t always get what you want.”

Yes, I was disappointed in the result. But the American people have spoken – and President-elect Trump will assume office in January.

Since then, a lot of folks have asked me for my reaction. What do you think? What will your approach to the President-elect be? How will this impact your last two years in office?

Well, I’ve been around long enough to know that shaking the magic eight ball to predict the future does not pan out in reality, so I guess I’d just say this: while the majority of Maine people voted for the Vice President, Kamala Harris, there are a lot of people – including many in the Second Congressional District where I live and have lived most of my life – who voted for the President-elect.

The opinions and perspectives of Maine people differ. And that’s the way it is.

And, we don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot of campaign talk. We’re going to see how things shake out. And, you know, I disagree with the President-elect on a lot of things and a lot of the things he’s said.

And you may agree or disagree with him, or with me, on a lot of things too.

At the end of the day, this is about Maine people as far as I’m concerned and what’s best for you. It’s always been important to me to try to be a governor for the entire state, not just for those who agree with me.

And that’s why my approach to every president, regardless of who it is, is the same.

If the president does something good for Maine people, I will join and support them. If they do something that’s bad for Maine people, I will oppose them with everything I have. We’ve done that under several different administrations.

That’s no different now with a new administration in Washington.

Maine people know me.

And you know that I will do everything in my power for as long as I am your Governor to protect the future and freedoms of Maine people and Maine families and stand up for the rule of law.

And I promise you I will continue to do everything I can to keep building a state and a country where every person can have a good education, access to good healthcare, clean air and water, a good paying and fulfilling job, and be successful and create a better life for themselves and for their family and their children.

And to that end, I look forward to working with the newly elected members of our State Legislature, including Republican and Democratic legislative leadership and membership, as well as our Congressional Delegation, to keep making progress for Maine people.

We are one state and one people, and we are bound together by far more than a single election. We share a history, a broader community, and a deep, abiding affection for this place we are fortunate to call home.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, National Apprenticeship Week is celebrating its 10th anniversary of raising awareness of the vital role that Registered Apprenticeships play in providing opportunities to the people of Maine by allowing apprentices to earn while they learn and preparing a pathway to good, quality jobs and well-paying careers and the ability to advance in those careers; and

WHEREAS, children and young people across the State of Maine experience grief after the death of an important person in their life, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, mental, and social well-being; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that 1 in 10 children in Maine will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18, a life-altering event that requires compassionate support from families, schools, organizations, and communities; and

This Monday, November 11th, marks an important day in Maine and around the nation: Veterans Day.

Hello. This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

Our state can proudly say that we are home to one of the highest number of veterans per capita of any state in the country. Well, when you consider Maine's long and proud history of military service, that should come as no surprise. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, to World War I,  World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Maine people have always defended our nation and its ideals, and our state has always shouldered its responsibility to protect our country.

In fact, during the Civil War, our state contributed a higher proportion of our citizens to the Union Army than any other state in the nation. That proud history is reflected in the fact that our great Veterans Medical Center, Togus, was the very first veterans facility created by the United States government to house Union veterans after the Civil War.

That proud history of military service is also at the heart of my family. My father served in the Pacific during World War II, surviving the biggest battle of naval history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Two uncles of mine also served in World War II, also in the Pacific. And my brother served several tours of duty in Vietnam. As the daughter, niece, and sister of veterans, I'm always thinking about what more we can do to support those who wore the uniform and their families.

This Veterans Day, I encourage all Maine people to thank a servicemember and to honor the rights and freedoms those servicemembers have fought for – many rights which are also so fragile and too often taken for granted. Like the right to disagree, and to express an opinion, whether anyone listens or not. The right to personal privacy in one's home, and in the fundamental decisions of life. And the right to ask for help from the government from time to time, and the right to be free from governmental intrusion.

Maine veterans teach us, all of us, to cherish our rights and to remember those who gave their lives for these freedoms. They teach us to remember that our sons and daughters today stand ready to defend those very rights in postings across the globe. They teach us the strong sense of responsibility that comes from hard work and hard times. They teach us honor. They teach us dignity. They teach us service.

In the wake of an election with strong and differing opinions and feelings this past week, let us spend this Veterans Day reflecting on the values that we share, and remembering the people who have defended those values here at home and abroad. May we remember that we are one state and one people, and we are bound together by far more than a single election or one political party's wins or losses. We share a history, a broader community, and a deep and abiding love for this place that we're so fortunate to call home.

To all Maine veterans and their families: I thank you for your service and for your sacrifice.

To all those who have served, and to those who continue to serve our country so well: our hearts are with you this Veterans Day 2024.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.