Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden held off a challenge from former stock-car racer and Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault in a combative and competitive race — but President-elect Donald Trump won one of the state’s four Electoral College votes.
Golden eked out re-election with 50.3% of the vote to Theriault’s 49.7%, with 95% of votes counted, Decision Desk HQ reports.
The swing district, the 2nd Congressional, is one of the few in New England. Golden has been in office since 2019, winning both prior elections with just over 50% of the vote.
Golden’s top campaign issues included the economy and veterans services, as he is a Marine Corps veteran himself and sits on the Small Business Committee and Armed Services Committee.
Theriault focused on infrastructure and supporting the manufacturing sector — and calling out his Democratic opponent’s flip-flops and hypocrisy.
Maine, along with Nebraska, doesn’t have winner-take-all electoral votes. It gives two to the statewide popular-vote winner and one vote each to the parties that win its two congressional districts.
The 2nd District has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+6 and also gifted Trump an electoral vote in both 2016 and 2020.
The last polling in the race indicated a mixed bag. A Politico and Axis Research survey showed Trump and Theriault leading in the district. But a Survey USA poll for FairVote and Bangor Daily News had Trump leading at 49% but Golden up 12 points with 53% to Theriault’s 41%.
Cook Political Report ranked the race between Golden and Theriault a toss-up.
The New England region does not have a single Republican congressman.
