FRYEBURG — Maine Gov. Janet Mills appears to be inching closer to challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins next year but remains unhurried about making a final decision, even as interest in the race intensifies.

Mills, 77, was asked again Wednesday about her future political plans at an event in Fryeburg and said she’s “seriously considering” running and could decide by November.

“I’m seriously considering the run,” she said. “I’m not in any rush to make a decision. (I have) a lot to do with my present day job, so I’m seriously considering it.”

Mills’ comments, made after the grand opening of a newly renovated state shooting range in Fryeburg, were perhaps the strongest signal yet of her intentions.

For months, Mills has told the Press Herald that she wasn’t planning on running. Then, three weeks ago, she told WMTW that she “would think seriously about it.”

Mills is among a handful of Democratic governors being heavily recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate. Schumer faces pressure to help win back control of the Senate and challenge some of the major policy changes put forth by the Trump administration. And Mills’ profile got a boost at the national level in February when she challenged President Donald Trump during a White House meeting with other governors.

But the Democrat nearing the end of her second term as Maine’s governor has been coy about her intentions. She did not answer questions Wednesday about her thought process, or what might be holding her back or pushing her toward a run.

Most of Maine’s biggest Democratic names are running for governor, since the seat will be open.

A few lesser-known Democrats have announced their campaigns for U.S. Senate. Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who lives in Bristol, has been campaigning for months and has raised nearly $2 million. Democrat David Costello, of Brunswick, who challenged Sen. Angus King last year, is also running.

And Graham Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer from Sullivan, made a splash last week when he announced his candidacy. That announcement was covered by national news outlets, including the New York Times.

Platner is slated to joined Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at a rally in Portland on Monday, which was moved from the Merrill Auditorium to the larger Cross Insurance Arena. Mills said Wednesday that she had no thoughts about Platner’s candidacy.

And at least one more Democrat is expected to announce their candidacy, possibly as soon as next week.

Still, all eyes have remained on Mills, who has twice won statewide elections with strong performances in the more rural, conservative 2nd Congressional District. Support there will be needed to oust Collins, 72, who is in her fifth term and who won her last reelection campaign in 2020 by 9 percentage points over Democrat Sara Gideon, a former Maine House Speaker from Freeport.

Mills downplayed any concerns that she is freezing the field of Democratic candidates.

“That election is a year from this coming November,” she said. “That’s many months away. I don’t think people want to hear about a political campaign this early before the actual election. We have a lot more to do between now and a year from November, so I don’t have a specific timeline. But I will be deciding in the next few months, I would say maybe mid-November.”

When asked if she was concerned about hurting her party’s chances should she not run, Mills simply replied, “It’s August 27. It’s still summer in Maine. I rest my case.”