LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate known for defying party orthodoxy, defended his seat in Congress against Austin Theriault, a stock car driver and Republican state lawmaker, but the tight race was too early to call out to speak on Thursday.
The meeting between Golden and Theriault is one of a few pivotal races with a chance to sway control of the U.S. House of Representatives during a competitive election year. It took place in the largest congressional district by area on the East Coast, a largely rural part of Maine where former President Donald Trump has proven very popular with voters.
On Thursday afternoon, Golden and Theriault were locked in a tight race, with some of the votes still to be counted.
Golden is a former Marine who is in his third term representing the 2nd Congressional District, which is commonly described as a swing district. The district covers much of Maine and includes a handful of small towns, but is perhaps best known as the home of traditional northern New England industries such as lobster fishing and logging.
During the campaign, Golden touted his ability to work with members of both political parties and his advocacy for the lobster industry, which is the lifeblood of the region’s economy. He declared himself the winner of the race on Wednesday, although the Associated Press did not name it.
“Anyone who has watched this race knows that this was my toughest election yet. Across the country, no Democrat has faced stronger headwinds from the top of the ticket, the pundits and organized opposition,” Golden, wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, said at a news conference in Lewiston.
Theriault, who was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2022, spent much of the campaign portraying Golden as too liberal for the district. While Theriault had Trump’s support, he also tried to portray himself as a potential unifier during a divisive time in Washington.
Theriault said Wednesday that he was “well within the ballpark” where a recount was possible “and every vote must be counted.”
Maine has no mandatory recounts, even in close elections. But the state does allow candidates to request a recount. The state does not require a deposit for a recount if the margin of victory is 1% or less for statewide or multi-county races.
It was also possible that neither candidate would receive 50% of the total vote, and that would necessitate a ranked choice count. There was no third-party candidate on the ballot, but write-in candidates were still available, and some voters took advantage of that option.
Golden was first elected to Congress in 2018, when he needed the number of ranked-choice votes to defeat incumbent Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
Golden has retained his seat despite Trump dominating the district during the recent presidential election. 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.
In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic Rep. won. Chellie Pingree is running for her ninth term against Republican challenger Ron Russell and independent Ethan Alcorn.
