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Maine's 2nd Congressional District race heads to ranked-choice count

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced on Thursday that ranked-choice tabulation will be required.

LEWISTON, Maine — The tight race for Maine's second Congressional District will be decided through a ranked-choice count after neither candidate reached the 50-percent threshold to win, according to an announcement from the secretary of state's office Thursday night. 

The matchup between Democratic Rep. Jared Golden and Republican Austin Theriault is one of a handful of pivotal races with a chance to influence control of the U.S. House of Representatives during a competitive election year.

Thursday afternoon, Golden and Theriault were in a tight race with some of the votes yet to be counted. Theriault requested a recount Thursday, although the final tallies were not yet finished.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Thursday night that ranked-choice tabulation will be required, beginning next week. A recount as requested may be conducted after the ranked-choice tabulation has finished. 

The recounts will take place in Augusta and will be open to the public, according to a news release from Bellows' office. A live stream will be made available here.

Ranked-choice voting requires one candidate to receive more than 50 percent of the vote. 

Golden's campaign released the following statement in response to Bellows' announcement, agreeing with Theriault's request for a recount:

"The rules are clear: A ranked-choice run-off is required only if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes. When the clerks reported returns on Tuesday, Congressman Golden was the candidate who received more than 50 percent of first-choice votes. Voters have a right to see elections decided both accurately and expediently. State Rep. Theriault has asserted his right to a recount by hand and Congressman Golden agrees to it. So let's just do it, rather than incur the delays and expenses of a ranked-choice run-off."

According to Bellows' office, candidates cannot decide whether to go into a ranked-choice runoff count and, by law, a recount cannot happen before a ranked-choice run-off is complete.

Results shared by Bellows' office Thursday night as reported by municipalities stated Golden received approximately 48.65 percent of votes, with 48.11 percent going to Theriault, indicating neither candidate reached the ranked-choice threshold to win. 

Unenrolled write-in candidate Diana Merenda of Surry got 0.1 percent of votes, and 3.13 percent of ballots were left blank.

Theriault's campaign manager shared with NEWS CENTER Maine the following statement:

"There is a process in place and we look forward to the process unfolding according to the law."

Golden is a former Marine in his third term representing the 2nd Congressional District, which is typically described as a swing district. The district covers a vast part of Maine that includes a handful of small cities but is perhaps best known as the home of traditional northern New England industries such as lobster fishing and logging.

During the campaign, Golden touted his ability to work with members of either political party along with his advocacy on behalf of the lobster industry, which is the lifeblood of the region’s economy. He declared himself the winner of the race Wednesday, though it has not been called by The Associated Press.

“Anyone who has observed this race knows that this was my toughest election yet. Across the country, no Democrat has withstood stronger headwinds from the top of the ticket, the pundits and the organized opposition,” Golden said, wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans at a news conference in Lewiston.

Theriault, who was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2022, spent much of the campaign portraying Golden as too liberal for the district. Although Theriault had the backing of Trump, he also attempted to portray himself as a potential uniter during a divided time in Washington.

Theriault said Wednesday that he was “well within the margin” where a recount was possible “and every vote should be counted.” Thursday, he made that request formal.

Maine has no mandatory recounts even in close elections. But the state does allow candidates to request a recount. The state does not require a deposit for a recount if the margin of victory is 1% or less for statewide or multicounty races.

“We must work together to ensure the Mainers’ voices are heard and the final result reflects the will of the people,” said Theriault campaign manager Shawn Roderick.

Golden “has trust and faith in the process of determining the victor, and is ready for a recount if one is necessary,” said Mario Moretto, a spokesperson for the congressman.

Golden was first elected to Congress in 2018, when he needed the ranked choice voting count to defeat Republican incumbent Rep Bruce Poliquin.

Golden has held onto his seat despite Trump dominating the district in recent presidential elections. Maine is one of two states to apportion electoral votes by congressional district — Nebraska is the other — and Trump has won his sole New England electoral vote in Maine’s 2nd District three times.

In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree won her ninth term against Republican challenger Ron Russell and independent Ethan Alcorn.

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