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Dunlap says Maine 2nd District too close to call after LePage claims win
Maine Morning Star reported that Paul LePage declared victory in Maine’s 2nd District while Matt Dunlap said the race was still too close to call and unofficial totals remained short of 50 percent.
Republican Paul LePage declared victory Wednesday afternoon in Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District race, Maine Morning Star reported, while Democrat Matt Dunlap did not concede and major outlets had not called the contest1.
LePage spoke just after 2 p.m. at Sea Dog Brewing in Bangor and said he was looking forward to going to Congress, the outlet reported1. He said public numbers had his campaign ahead and that, after calling towns still outstanding, “there is no path to victory for my opponent”1.
Dunlap said in a statement Wednesday that election staff were still finishing the count. “This race is very close and there are plenty of ballots left to count,” he said1.
As of 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, LePage had 49.9 percent and Dunlap 48.8 percent with 94 percent of results counted, according to unofficial Bangor Daily News municipal totals cited by Maine Morning Star1. The Associated Press, which also had not called the race, had LePage at 50.1 percent and Dunlap at 49.9 percent with 89 percent counted1.
Overnight, the same outlet said the race remained too close to call and appeared likely to go to a ranked-choice runoff later in the week. At 12:37 a.m. Wednesday, LePage and Dunlap were each at 49.4 percent with 71 percent counted in those Bangor Daily News unofficial totals. AP at 12:30 a.m. reported 72 percent counted with LePage at 51 percent and Dunlap at 49 percent.
Maine Morning Star said a declared write-in candidate is in the race, so a candidate must exceed 50 percent of total votes to win without ranked-choice tabulation1. If no candidate reaches that threshold, last-place candidates are eliminated and votes are redistributed until one exceeds 50 percent, the outlet reported.
The Secretary of State’s office had not said whether a ranked-choice runoff would be necessary and did not immediately comment Wednesday, Maine Morning Star reported; with few votes separating the candidates, it said a recount is likely1. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said last month a runoff in the district was likely, and based on past tabulations a runoff could run until Friday of the following week.
The seat is open because Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden is not seeking reelection. The district has used ranked-choice runoffs in congressional races since 2018, according to the same reporting1.
What remains unknown in these accounts is a final certified tally, whether either candidate will clear 50 percent, and whether tabulation or a recount will extend into next week1.
