BANGOR, Maine — Former Governor Paul LePage has declared victory in the fiercely contested race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, even as official election results remain too close for The Associated Press to call.
Speaking to supporters Wednesday afternoon from the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Bangor, the Republican former governor asserted that his internal data confirms an insurmountable lead. “The public numbers have us up about 4,000 and the team has been calling all the towns that haven’t come in yet, and there’s no path to victory for my opponent,” LePage said. “I am declaring victory.”
As of 3:41 p.m. Wednesday, with approximately 91% of precincts reporting, The Associated Press showed LePage leading Democratic State Auditor Matt Dunlap by 1,778 votes. Independent write-in candidate Gregory Ward trailed significantly with 0.05% of the total vote.
Despite LePage’s public declaration, the contest remains in a state of limbo. The Dunlap campaign has pointedly declined to concede, signaling that the Democrat intends to wait for the final tally. In a brief statement provided to local media, the Dunlap campaign maintained, “No news yet, lots of votes to count.”
The race to represent Maine’s expansive 2nd District—the largest congressional district by land area east of the Mississippi—is to fill the vacancy left by outgoing Congressman Jared Golden. Golden, a Blue Dog Democrat who has held the seat for years, announced nearly a year ago that he would not seek reelection, setting the stage for this high-profile showdown between two seasoned Maine political veterans.
LePage brings nearly three decades of political experience to the table. His career began on the Waterville City Council in 1997, followed by seven years as the mayor of Waterville. He served two consecutive terms as Maine’s governor from 2011 to 2019 and made a return to the political stage in 2022 during an unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent Governor Janet Mills.
His opponent, Matt Dunlap, is equally entrenched in Maine’s political landscape. Before his current tenure as state auditor, Dunlap served two stints as Maine’s Secretary of State between 2005 and 2021 and spent nearly a decade in the Maine House of Representatives.
The district, which covers all or part of 11 Maine counties, serves as a critical bellwether for the state’s political leanings. With the margin currently hovering within the low thousands, election officials are bracing for a meticulous final count. As both campaigns wait for the remaining precincts to report, the atmosphere across the district remains tense, with neither party willing to cede ground until the last ballot is processed.
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