PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jared Golden emerged victorious in the race for Congress through Maine’s ranked choice system, election officials said Friday.
If the results hold, it would be the third time in four elections in the hotly contested district that Golden won after the votes were redrawn because the initial choices failed to produce a majority for any candidate.
This time it was Republican challenger Austin Theriault who fell behind. His campaign had said he would request a recount, and his campaign repeated the request Friday evening.
Golden said the results show he won, and he thanked his supporters, but he said Theriault was within his rights to request a recount.
Theriault’s campaign manager, Shawn Roderick, said a recount was warranted given the closeness of the election.
“Every Mainer’s voice must be heard and their vote counted in this historically close race. We have seen several anomalies that can only be resolved with a full recount. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we work to ensure every vote is counted,” he said.
The Associated Press has not yet called the race as it seeks more information from the secretary of state to determine whether the results will survive an expected recount.
Maine’s second district, which is largely rural and known for its lobster fishing and logging, has favored President-elect Donald Trump in each of its three elections.
Neither candidate received a majority of first-place votes on Election Day. The initial count of first-place choices had Golden ahead of Theriault by about 2,000 votes, but both fell short of a majority with less than 49% of votes cast due to some 12,000 ballots that were blank or had write-in candidates.
The first outcome prompted Maine’s ranked choice process. All of the precinct’s ballots were sent to the state capitol, verified, scanned into a computer and retabulated in a process narrated on a livestream by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. Then, any second choices for Golden or Theriault on the blank ballots or by voters for write-in candidates were reallocated to determine a winner.
Some media outlets prematurely declared Golden the winner before the secretary of state invoked the ranked choice process, and Theriault’s campaign previously said he would request a recount. If there is a recount, it could take weeks to complete. Meanwhile, election workers must certify election results and send them to the governor by the Nov. 25 deadline in Maine, although state law allows an exception for recounts.
This race was one of the relatively few truly competitive contests nationwide, as both parties struggled to control the House of Representatives and involved some $50 million in political spending, a large sum for a largely rural district.
Golden, who was known for his willingness to defy his own party, campaigned on his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans and his advocacy for the lobster industry, which is crucial to the region’s economy.
“I have been one of the most independent-minded members of Congress, one of the most bipartisan,” Golden said during a debate in October, adding that he had voted against President Joe Biden more “than any other Democrat in the House of Delegates whatsoever.” .”
But Golden came under attack for his opposition to assault weapons, which he announced after an Army reservist used an assault rifle to kill 18 people and wound 13 others in Lewiston in October 2023.
Theriault, who was first elected to the Maine House in 2022, portrayed Golden as too liberal for the district. And while Theriault had Trump’s support, he also portrayed himself as a potential unifier in a time of division.
“We need more balance and less extremism in Washington,” Theriault said during the debate. “I’m someone who can go out there and get the job done. I want to stand up for everyone.”
The district’s voters repeatedly sent Golden to Congress after election night issues that couldn’t be resolved without the state’s ranked choice process. The ranked choice tables allowed Golden to dethrone Republican incumbent Rep. Bruce Poliquin in 2018 and win a rematch in 2022.
The voting system that Maine voters adopted in 2016 allows voters to rank their first, second and third choices of candidates on the ballot. A candidate who collects a majority of first-place votes is the winner. If there is no majority winner, the last-place candidates are eliminated and their supporters’ second choices are used to redistribute the votes, and so on, until one candidate exceeds 50%.
The 2nd Congressional District is one of the largest in the country by area, stretching into the northernmost reaches of Maine. Logging is a mainstay, and lobster fishing is a major source of income along the rugged east coast.
Maine is one of two states that divide electoral votes by congressional district — Nebraska is the other — and Trump has won his lone electoral vote in New England in Maine’s second district three times.
Maine’s other electoral votes — two for the statewide vote and one for the 1st Congressional District — went to the Democratic candidate because the deep blue 1st District is centered around Portland, the largest city in the state and a liberal stronghold. The Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree won her ninth term there, against Republican challenger Ron Russell and independent Ethan Alcorn.
