Maine’s 2nd District will be one of only three U.S. House races thus far in last Tuesday’s election to flip from Democrat to Republican control if expected results are confirmed.
The race is going to a ranked choice runoff although Democrat Matt Dunalp has already conceded the contest to Republican Paul LePage, saying he has no path to victory.
The Maine result is also noteworthy because is the only seat to flip to Republicans that was not redrawn by Republican controlled states to favor their own candidates.
According to Balletpedia, the two other states to flip into Republican control were Texas District 32 (Democrat Julie Johnson to Republican Jace Yarbrough) and Tennessee District 9 (Democrat Steve Cohen to Republican Brian Taylor).
Republican majorities in both Texas and Tennessee redrew their districts prior to Tuesday’s election with the intention to boost their candidates.
In Maine, LePage is set to replace Democrat Jared Golden, who chose not to run for reelection in the state’s 2nd District. Golden has been noted for his moderate positions that may have helped him in the more conservative leaning district he’s held since 2019.
The ranked-choice voting tabulation is scheduled to begin Monday, as required by Maine law, according to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office. The runoff is being conducted because neither LePage nor Dunlap reached 50 plus one vote in the election.
The overall election Tuesday was a landslide victory for Democrats, who will take control of the U.S House with a large majority, and will take control of of the Senate with up to 56 of the 100 seats.
