ME-SEN, ME-02: Could Control of Congress Run Through Northern Maine?

For starters, the Second District’s House seat — currently held by the retiring Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat — is one of the most politically competitive on the map. Republicans see the red-tinted district as one of their best pickup opportunities.

Last night, Paul LePage, the bombastic former governor who has declared himself “Donald Trump before Donald Trump,” officially won the Republican nomination for that seat. The district stretches from Lewiston and Bangor to Caribou, on the Canadian border, and is home to many working-class residents.

There was a fiercely contested and crowded Democratic primary to take him on. The results were tight between three candidates — Joe Baldacci, a state senator, Jordan Wood, a former congressional aide and Matt Dunlap, the state auditor. Because of Maine’s ranked-choice system, it could be a week or two before a winner is declared.

The voters in the Second District will also play a crucial role in determining who Maine sends to the Senate, in a highly competitive race that Democrats have long seen as central to their push to regain control of the chamber.




https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/us/politics/maine-second-district.html