Former Maine Governor Paul LePage, a Republican, has secured the open seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District against Democrat state Auditor Matt Dunlap. The result marks the only flip for a Republican candidate in a district held by a Democrat in the 2026 election cycle.
The seat became vacant after Democrat incumbent Jared Golden opted not to seek reelection earlier this year after four terms. During his tenure, Golden garnered a reputation as one of the most moderate Democrats in the House and crossed party lines on multiple occasions.
According to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office, 341,248 ballots were cast in the race. LePage received 170,263 first-choice votes, or 49.894 percent under the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
Dunlap received 164,845 votes, or 48.307 percent. Declared write-in candidates accounted for 123 votes, or 0.036 percent, while 6,017 ballots, or 1.763 percent, left the race blank. This produced a first-choice lead of 5,418 votes for LePage.
Because neither candidate reached a majority of total ballots cast, Maine law requires a ranked-choice voting tabulation. The process is scheduled to begin Monday, November 9, at the Department of Public Safety headquarters in Augusta after municipal totals are verified.
Officials and both campaigns have indicated that the tabulation is not expected to alter the outcome, given the size of LePage’s first-choice margin relative to the remaining blank and write-in ballots. In prior ranked-choice runoffs in the district, the large majority of blank ballots were exhausted without transferring to either candidate.
LePage declared victory on Wednesday after roughly 24 hours of tabulation, while Dunlap ultimately conceded the race a day later.
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Punchbowl News: Paul LePage (R) wins Maine’s 2nd congressional district, defeating Matt Dunlap (D-ME).
🟥Republican flip pic.twitter.com/pKE9L3rbWK
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) November 5, 2026
The result flips the district from Democratic to Republican control. It is the only such flip of a Democratic-held House seat in the 2026 cycle that did not result from mid-decade redistricting.
The 2nd District, which covers much of rural and northern Maine and is the largest congressional district by area east of the Mississippi River, had been carried by Donald Trump in three consecutive presidential elections.
At 78-years-old, LePage will be one of the oldest members of Congress to enter as a freshman. He previously served as mayor of Waterville from 2004 to 2011 and as Maine’s governor from 2011 to 2019. After term limits ended his governorship, he relocated to Florida and then returned for an unsuccessful 2022 campaign for a third term against Democratic Governor Janet Mills, a race in which he nonetheless carried the 2nd District.
Nationally, the Maine outcome stands against broader Democratic gains, as Democrats have secured control of the House of Representatives with a substantial majority. Projections place the party in the range of 250 to 260 seats once remaining races are resolved, representing a net gain on the order of 40 seats and one of the larger Democratic House majorities in recent decades.
