State Auditor Matt Dunlap won Maine’s 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary after three rounds of ranked choice tabulation, the Secretary of State’s Office announced early Friday morning, securing the nomination to face former Republican Gov. Paul LePage in a race expected to draw national attention.
Dunlap prevailed by less than 3,000 votes in the final round against State Sen. Joe Baldacci, who had led the field in the first and second rounds of tabulation. Before the ranked choice process began, Baldacci held 31.6% of votes, followed by Dunlap with 29.2% and political operative Jordan Wood with 28.9%, while activist Paige Loud finished with roughly 10%.
The ranked choice tabulation, which lasted into the early hours of Friday, eliminated last-place finishers one round at a time and redistributed their votes to voters’ next-ranked choices until one candidate topped 50%. Wood was eliminated in the second round despite trailing Dunlap by less than 300 votes at that stage, demonstrating how narrow the margins were throughout the process.
“Today’s results tell us that people want real change and a better future,” Dunlap said in a statement after the results were announced. “I thank the other Democratic candidates for mounting exceptional campaigns and raising important issues across the state.”
A Competitive General Election Takes Shape
The seat became open after U.S. Rep. Jared Golden announced in November that he would not seek reelection. Dunlap will now face LePage, who won the Republican primary without opposition, in what election forecasters expect to be one of the few potential House pickups for the GOP. The race currently leans Republican and has become a priority target for both national parties as they compete for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dunlap, a progressive Democrat, has pledged to advance policies including Medicare for All, affordable childcare, and a lower cost of living. “Together, we’re going to defeat Paul LePage one more time and make sure he’s never on the ballot again,” he said in his statement, referencing LePage’s previous runs for office.
The primary results come as Maine used ranked choice voting in a statewide primary for the first time, with three races—both gubernatorial contests and the 2nd District Democratic primary—requiring tabulation. The Secretary of State’s Office worked through the night logging results from every ballot cast across the state before running the tabulation formula, which produced results in a matter of minutes once the data entry was complete. Under state law, a candidate finishing in the top three in the penultimate round has five days to request a recount if they wish to challenge the outcome.
