Baldacci Leads Tight Democratic Primary in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, Heading to Ranked-Choice Runoff

BANGOR — Maine's 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary is heading to a ranked-choice runoff after no candidate cleared the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright on Tuesday night.

State Sen. Joe Baldacci, a 61-year-old former mayor of Bangor, held a narrow lead as of 11:25 p.m. with roughly a third of the vote counted. He had pulled in about 33 percent, followed closely by Jordan Wood, a 36-year-old Lewiston native and former Washington insider, at around 30 percent. Matt Dunlap, a 61-year-old former Maine secretary of state and leader of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine from Old Town, trailed with approximately 28 percent. Paige Loud appeared headed for a distant fourth-place finish.

The Associated Press called the race for a runoff shortly before 10:45 p.m.

Under Maine's ranked-choice voting system, ballots will be retabulated using voters' second- and third-choice selections until one candidate secures a majority. State officials have warned that the process could take up to two weeks to produce a final result, meaning the identity of the Democratic nominee may not be known for some time.

Whoever ultimately wins will face former Republican Gov. Paul LePage in the general election. The 77-year-old LePage, who served as governor from 2011 to 2019 and is known for his combative style and controversial statements, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He carries the endorsement of President Donald Trump and recently relocated back to Maine from Florida to mount the comeback bid.

The seat is being left open by U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a 43-year-old moderate Democrat who opted against seeking a fifth term. Golden built his reputation on a cross-party voting record, siding with Republicans on certain issues while staying more progressive on matters like abortion rights and campaign finance. The four Democratic primary candidates all positioned themselves to Golden's left, particularly on Trump's aggressive tariff policies and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Baldacci entered the final stretch of the campaign with a significant institutional boost: the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed him in May, and a national super PAC ran advertisements on his behalf. That backing drew sharp criticism from his three opponents, who teamed up to attack Baldacci over the outside support. Dunlap, Wood, and Loud jointly pressed the issue, arguing the involvement of national party machinery and big-money spending undermined the grassroots nature of the race.

The situation grew more complicated when a shadowy political action committee with apparent ties to Republican donors began spending money in the final weeks of the campaign. The group ran ads opposing Baldacci while ostensibly boosting Dunlap, a move that injected an unusual layer of outside interference into a Democratic contest. Dunlap has said he did not want the support.

Adding to the intrigue, Trump weighed in on Monday with a post on Truth Social praising LePage and criticizing Dunlap, while predicting Dunlap would emerge from the primary.

The 2nd District, which covers much of northern Maine, has supported Trump in each of his presidential elections, making it an uphill battle for any Democratic nominee. However, the party is looking to flip the seat as part of a broader effort to reclaim the U.S. House, where Republicans currently hold the majority and Democrats need only a handful of gains to take control.

LePage's return to Maine politics has drawn national attention, in part because of his age. If elected, he would be among the oldest freshman members of the House in modern history.

The primary debate, held May 28 in Lewiston and hosted by Maine Public and the Portland Press Herald, gave voters a chance to see all four candidates together on stage. The forum was initially cordial, but the tone shifted as the DCCC endorsement and outside spending became campaign flashpoints.

Tuesday's results leave the Democratic nomination genuinely up for grabs. With Baldacci, Wood, and Dunlap all within a few percentage points of each other, the ranked-choice redistribution could swing the outcome in any direction. State election officials are expected to begin the retabulation process in the coming days, though Mainers may not have a definitive answer until late June.

For now, Baldacci and his supporters gathered at Sea Dog Brewing in Bangor to watch the returns come in, joined by his wife, Beth. The mood was cautiously optimistic, but the candidate and his team know the race remains far from decided.