LEWISTON-AUBURN (NEWS CENTER Maine) — With only a few more hours until the polls open, Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race appears to be nearly even. It’s a four-way contest with two independents, but the real battle is between Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin and Democrat Jared Golden.
Golden’s supporters joined him Monday for a street corner rally to encourage potential voters in downtown Lewiston. Golden is a former Marine and two-term state legislator, who says health care is the top issue for 2nd District voters.
"If you’re looking for someone who will be there for you, [going to] be straightforward and honest, who will be a hard worker and someone who’s committed to service and leadership, that’s what I’m all about,” Golden told reporters.
Rep. Poliquin visited Auburn and Bangor, stopping at Rollie’s Diner in Auburn to talk with early lunch customers. Poliquin is the two-term incumbent and says jobs and Maine’s economy are the biggest issues for voters — along with GOP politics.
“Do we want to continue with a strong economy and more jobs, more than we have workers?" Poliquin said. "Or do we want to go backwards and let Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters run Congress? I don’t think we want to do that."
There are two independents in the race: Tiffany Bond of Portland and Will Hoar of Southwest Harbor. But the close vote is expected between the two party candidates.
This will be the first time ranked-choice voting is used to elect candidates for federal office, meaning if neither Poliquin nor Golden gets over 50 percent of the vote the contest will go to an RCV count.