Republicans in 1st District primary to face Chellie Pingree running tight race
CD1 Republican primary candidates Joshua Pietrowicz, of New Gloucester, left, and Ron Russell, of Kennebunkport, at a debate hosted by Maine Public and the Portland Press Herald in Lewiston on May 21, 2026. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
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Ron Russell narrowly led Joshua Pietrowicz late Tuesday evening in Maine’s 1st Congressional District Republican primary, but the race had not been called as of about 11:40 p.m.
With about 29% of precincts reporting, Russell led Pietrowicz by about 1,200 votes.
The Republican nominee will face the tall task of beating U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, in November. Pingree, a 71-year-old progressive from North Haven, has represented the 1st District for nine terms, and has won most reelection bids with ease since her first congressional race in 2008. The last Republican to hold the 1st District seat was former U.S. Rep. Jim Longley Jr., who did so from 1995 to 1997.
The 1st District covers much of the southern half of Maine, including Portland. Pingree did not have a primary opponent.
This year’s GOP primary featured a few differences between the two candidates. Their respective ages and their views on issues such as healthcare were chief among them. Pietrowicz is a 26-year-old former car salesman from New Gloucester, while Russell is a 71-year-old Army veteran and defense contractor from Kennebunkport who lost the 2024 election to Pingree by more than 20 percentage points.
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Pietrowicz had lightly criticized Russell in the months leading up to the primary as not having the energy to seriously compete in the district, pointing to his 2024 defeat. Russell, meanwhile, said his age gave him valuable life experiences and the knowledge to effectively serve in higher office.
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Both have generally expressed support for President Donald Trump and his agenda, though Pietrowicz took a different line than many Republicans by expressing support during the campaign for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that the GOP-controlled Congress let expire last year — and for moving to a universal healthcare system.
Pietrowicz took more conservative positions on issues such as immigration and guns, but he said while he opposes abortion, he supports allowing it in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and he supports allowing it after that if a mother’s life is at risk.
Russell said he does not support the right to an abortion. He also said he supports exploring the creation of “alternative programs” to Social Security, though he added he would not implement them for people currently paying into the safety net system.
Both Republican candidates generally expressed support for Trump’s actions in the war with Iran, while expressing skepticism for continued aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022.
This is a developing story.
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Tagged: 1st Congressional District, election 2026, Rep. Chellie Pingree
Billy covers politics for the Press Herald. He joined the newsroom in 2026 after also covering politics for the Bangor Daily News for about two and a half years. Before moving to Maine in 2023, the Wisconsin. More by Billy Kobin
