2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine

2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine

←  2016 November 6, 2018 (2018-11-06) 2020  →
All 2 Maine seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 1 1 Seats won 2 0 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 343,635 250,119 Percentage 55.12% 40.12% Swing 3.19% 7.89%
Results by party gains District results County results      Democratic hold     Democratic gain Democratic   40–50%   50–60%   60–70% Republican   40–50%   50–60%

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine, one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other offices, including a gubernatorial election, other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.

These U.S. House elections were conducted with ranked-choice voting, as opposed to a simple plurality, after Maine voters passed a citizen referendum approving the change in 2016 ^[1] and a June 2018 referendum sustaining the change. ^[2] Ranked-choice voting was used in the primary elections as well. ^[3]

While Rep. Chellie Pingree in District 1 was reelected with a majority, no candidate received a majority in District 2, which meant that the ranked-choice tabulation needed to occur. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, who received a plurality of first-round votes, filed a federal lawsuit to halt that tabulation, arguing that ranked-choice voting was unconstitutional. The court ruled against Poliquin in his request for a motion on November 15 and against the lawsuit itself on December 13. On November 15, Jared Golden was declared the winner after the ranked-choice redistribution, becoming the first member of Congress to be elected via ranked-choice voting.

Overview

Results of the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine by district: ^[4]

District	Democratic		Republican		Others		Total		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
District 1	201,195	58.82%	111,188	32.51%	29,670	8.67%	342,053	100.0%	Democratic hold
District 2	142,440	50.62%	138,931	49.38%	0	0.00%	281,371	100.0%	Democratic gain
Total	343,635	55.12%	250,119	40.12%	29,670	4.76%	623,424	100.0%

District 1

2018 Maine's 1st congressional district election

←  2016 2020  →

Nominee Chellie Pingree Mark Holbrook Marty Grohman Party Democratic Republican Independent Popular vote 201,195 111,188 29,670 Percentage 58.8% 32.5% 8.7%

County results Pingree:     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Chellie Pingree Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree Democratic

See also: Maine's 1st congressional district

Chellie Pingree, the incumbent representative, was first elected in 2008, and in 2016 defeated Republican nominee Mark Holbrook with just under 58 percent of the vote. Holbrook ran again for the Republican nomination, and was unopposed. Independent State Representative Marty Grohman, elected as a Democrat in the 2016 State House election, defected from the party in 2017. He launched his campaign for the first district in spring 2018.

Due to the use of ranked-choice voting in the election, Pingree was considered to be vulnerable if she did not win outright in the first round, as Grohman could have been a second choice for Republican and Democratic voters. ^[5] Grohman was receiving substantial support from Republican elected officials and activists, including Republican governor Paul LePage ^[6] and the state director of President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign Christie-Lee McNally. ^[7]

Democratic primary

Declared

• Chellie Pingree, incumbent U.S. representative ^[8]

Results

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Chellie Pingree (incumbent)	74,376	100.0
Total votes			74,376	100.0

Republican primary

Declared

• Mark Holbrook, professional counselor and 2016 nominee for this seat ^[9]

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Holbrook	40,679	100.0
Total votes			40,679	100.0

Independents

Declared

• Marty Grohman, state representative ^[9]

Endorsements

Chellie Pingree

Local and statewide politicians

• Christopher Babbidge, state representative ^[10]
• Donna Bailey, state representative ^[10]
• Pinny Beebe-Center, state representative ^[10]
• Seth Berry, state representative ^[10]
• Cathy Breen, state senator ^[10]
• Jennie Butler, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Justin Chenette, state senator ^[10]
• Ben Chipman, state senator ^[10]
• Janice Cooper, state representative ^[10]
• Diane Denk, member of the Democratic National Committee, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Dale Denno, state representative ^[10]
• Dave Durrell, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Richard Farnsworth, state representative ^[10]
• Ryan Fecteau, state representative ^[10]
• Anne Gass, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Geoffrey Gratwick, state senator ^[10]
• Henry Ingwersen, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Troy Jackson, state senator, Senate Minority Leader ^[11]
• Erik Jorgensen, state representative ^[10]
• Tori Kornfield, state representative ^[10]
• William Lippincott, candidate for State Senate ^[10]
• Thomas Longstaff, state representative ^[10]
• Anne-Marie Mastraccio, state representative ^[10]
• Chloe Maxmin, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Andrew McLean, state representative ^[10]
• Jay McCreight, state representative ^[10]
• Jeremy Mele, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Michele Meyer, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Rebecca Millett, state senator ^[10]
• David Miramant, state senator ^[10]
• Kimberly Monaghan, state representative ^[10]
• Matt Moonen, state representative ^[10]
• Victoria Morales, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Patricia Nobel, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Jennifer Parker, state representative ^[10]
• Ann Peoples, former state representative, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Teresa Pierce, state representative ^[10]
• Lois Galgay Reckitt, state representative ^[10]
• Tina Riley, state representative ^[10]
• Tiffany Roberts-Lovell, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Deane Rykerson, state representative ^[10]
• Heather Sanborn, state representative, candidate for State Senate ^[10]
• Linda Sanborn, former state representative, candidate for State Senate ^[10]
• Robert Saucier, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[10]
• Denise Tepler, state representative ^[10]
• Maureen Terry, state representative ^[10]
• Eloise Vitelli, state senator ^[10]
• Charlotte Warren, state representative ^[10]

Organizations

• Alliance for Retired Americans ^[10]
• End Citizens United ^[12]
• EqualityMaine ^{[13] [10]}
• Human Rights Campaign ^[10]
• Planned Parenthood ^[10]
• Sierra Club ^[10]

Trade Unions

• AFL-CIO ^[10]
• Laborers' International Union of North America ^[10]
• Maine State Council of Machinists ^[10]
• Maine State Employees Association ^[10]

Media

• Bangor Daily News ^[14]
• Kennebec Journal ^[15]
• Portland Phoenix ^[16]
• Portland Press Herald ^[17]

Mark Holbrook

Individuals

• Daniel Davey, former Knox County Sheriff ^[18]
• Carly Fiorina, candidate for President of the United States in 2016 US presidential election, candidate for US Senate from California in 2010 ^[18]
• Paula G. Sutton, candidate for State House of Representatives ^[18]

Organizations

• Christian Civic League of Maine ^[18]
• Gun Owners of Maine ^[18]
• National Right to Life Committee ^[18]
• NRA Political Victory Fund ^[18]

Marty Grohman

Local and statewide politicians

• Linda Baker, former state senator (R-Topsham) ^[7]
• Kerri Bickford, former state representative (R-Topsham) ^[7]
• Joe Bruno, former state representative and former House Minority Leader (R-Raymond) ^[7]
• Pamela Cahill, former state representative, former state senator, former Senate Minority Leader, (R-Woolwich) Republican candidate for Governor of Maine in 1994 former chair of the Maine Republican Party ^[7]
• Alan Casavant, Mayor of Biddeford, former state representative (Democrat) ^[19]
• Mark Ellis, former chair of the Maine Republican Party ^[7]
• Karen Gerrish, state representative (R-Lebanon) ^[7]
• Jon Kinney, state representative (R-Limington) ^[7]
• Brian Langley, state senator (R-Ellsworth) ^[7]
• Paul LePage, incumbent governor of Maine (Republican) ^[6]
• Don Marean, state representative (R-Hollis) ^[7]
• Les Otten, Republican candidate for Governor of Maine in 2010 ^[7]
• Tony Payne, former Maine Republican Party Executive Director ^[7]
• David Rollins, Mayor of Augusta (Democrat) ^[19]
• Tom Saviello, state senator (R-Farmington) ^[7]
• Mary Small, former state representative, former state senator, former Senate Minority Leader (R-Bath) ^[7]
• Ande Smith, Republican candidate for this seat in 2016 ^[7]
• Meredith Strang Burgess, former state representative (R-Cumberland) ^[7]
• Karen Vachon, state representative (R-Scarborough) ^[7]
• Amy Volk, state senator, Majority Whip (R-Scarborough) ^[19]
• Nathan Wadsworth, state representative (R-Hiram) ^[7]
• Karl Ward, state representative (R-Dedham) ^[7]
• Mark Walker, Mayor of Hallowell (Republican) ^[7]
• David Woodsome, state senator (R-Waterboro) ^[7]

Other individuals

• Ben Gilman, John McCain presidential campaign, 2008 Maine state director, former staffer for Olympia Snowe ^[7]
• Christie-Lee McNally, Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016 Maine state director ^[7]
• Ray Richardson, right-wing talk radio host ^[7]

Organizations

• Sportsman's Alliance of Maine ^[20]
• Unite America ^[21]
• US Chamber of Commerce ^[22]

General election

Forum & Debate

2018 Maine's 1st congressional district candidate forum & debate

No.	Date	Host	Moderator	Link	Democratic	Republican	Independent
Key:  P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
					Chellie Pingree	Mark Holbrook	Marty Grohman
1	Oct. 22, 2018	WCSH	Pat Callaghan	[23]	P	P	P
2	Nov. 1, 2018	Maine Public Television	Jennifer Rooks	WETA [24]	P	P	P

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Chellie Pingree (D)	Mark Holbrook (R)	Marty Grohman (I)	Other	Undecided
Emerson College [25]	October 27–29, 2018	442	± 4.9%	56%	31%	–	7%	6%
Pan Atlantic Research [26]	October 1–7, 2018	249	–	53%	29%	11%	–	7%

Results

Maine's 1st congressional district, 2018 ^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Chellie Pingree (incumbent)	201,195	58.8
	Republican	Mark Holbrook	111,188	32.5
	Independent	Marty Grohman	29,670	8.7
Total votes			342,053	100.0
	Democratic hold

District 2

2018 Maine's 2nd congressional district election

←  2016 2020  →

Nominee Jared Golden Bruce Poliquin Tiffany Bond Party Democratic Republican Independent First round 132,013 45.6% 134,184 46.3% 16,552 5.7% Maximum round 142,440 50.6% 138,931 49.4% Eliminated

County results Max round results by municipality Golden:     40%–50%     50%–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Poliquin:     40%–50%     50%–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:      No votes:

U.S. Representative before election Bruce Poliquin Republican Elected U.S. Representative Jared Golden Democratic

See also: Maine's 2nd congressional district

Bruce Poliquin, the incumbent representative for the second district, defeated Democrat Emily Cain in the 2016 election in a rematch of the 2014 election where Poliquin was first elected. Poliquin ran for the Republican nomination unopposed. Cain did not challenge Poliquin again, instead taking a job with the progressive group Emily's List. Initially, six candidates filed for the Democratic nomination — United States Postal Service employee and activist Phil Cleaves, carpenter and former Maine State Senate candidate Jonathan Fulford, Assistant Majority Leader of the State House of Representatives Jared Golden, shopkeeper and former chair of the Isleboro Board of Selectmen Craig Olson, businessman and former State Senate candidate Tim Rich, and conservationist Lucas St. Clair. Cleaves, Rich and Fulford dropped out at various points in the campaign, though Fulford's withdrawal happened too late for his name to be removed from the primary ballot. Several candidates received prominent endorsements; St. Clair was endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters and California Congressman Jared Huffman, Fulford by the left-wing group Our Revolution prior to his withdrawal from the race, and Golden by VoteVets, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton and over two dozen members of the Maine Legislature. Golden defeated St. Clair and Olson in the second round of the ranked-choice vote tabulation.

In addition, two third-party candidates announced their candidacies for the seat: Houlton Band of Maliseets State Representative Henry John Bear of the Maine Green Independent Party and Brian Kresge of the Libertarian Party. Bear, a former Democrat, left the party due to its stance on water rights for Maine's native people. He failed to qualify for the ballot. Kresge, a veteran and writer, withdrew from the race to run for a seat in the State House of Representatives. Neither the Libertarians nor Green Independents had a candidate on the ballot.

Two independent candidates qualified for the ballot: Tiffany Bond, an attorney from Portland (a city outside of the second district), and Will Hoar, a schoolteacher.

Republican primary

Declared

• Bruce Poliquin, incumbent U.S. representative ^[28]

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bruce Poliquin (incumbent)	43,047	100.0
Total votes			43,047	100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Jared Golden, Assistant Majority Leader of the Maine House of Representatives ^{[29] [30]}
• Craig Olson, former chair of the Islesboro Board of Selectmen ^[31]
• Lucas St. Clair, conservationist, restaurateur, and son of Roxanne Quimby ^[32]

Withdrawn

• Phil Cleaves, United States Postal Service employee ^[33]
• Jonathan Fulford, farmer, carpenter, and two-time Maine Senate candidate ^{[34] [35]}
• Tim Rich, businessman ^[36]

Declined

• Troy Jackson, Minority Leader of the Maine Senate and candidate for this seat in 2014 ^[37]
• Ben Sprague, Bangor City Councilor ^{[29] [30]}

Endorsements

Jonathan Fulford (withdrawn)

Individuals

• Ben Chin, Democratic nominee for Mayor of Lewiston, 2015 and 2017 ^[33]

Organizations

• Our Revolution ^[38]

Jared Golden

State and local politicians

• Robert Alley, State Representative ^[39]
• Betty Austin, state representative ^[39]
• Heidi Brooks, state representative ^[39]
• Barbara Cardone, state representative ^[39]
• Michael E. Carpenter, State Senator and former Maine Attorney General ^[39]
• Robert Duchesne, state representative ^[39]
• Michelle Dunphy, state representative ^[39]
• Jessica L. Fay, state representative ^[39]
• Aaron Frey, state representative ^[39]
• Roger Fuller, state representative ^[39]
• Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives ^[40]
• Gay Grant, state representative ^[39]
• James R. Handy, state representative ^[39]
• Brian Hubbell, state representative ^[39]
• Victoria Kornfield, state representative ^[39]
• Walter Kumiega, state representative ^[39]
• Nate Libby, state senator ^[39]
• Louis Luchini, state representative ^[39]
• Colleen Madigan, state representative ^[39]
• John Madigan, state representative ^[39]
• Danny Martin, state representative ^[39]
• John L. Martin, state representative, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives ^[39]
• David McCrea, state representative ^[39]
• Gina Melaragno, state representative ^[39]
• Catherine Nadeau, state representative ^[39]
• Anne Perry, state representative ^[39]
• Christina "Tina" Riley, state representative ^[39]
• John Schneck, state representative ^[39]
• Bettyann Sheats, state representative ^[39]
• Stephen Stanley, state representative ^[39]
• Ryan Tipping, state representative ^[39]
• Stanley Paige Zeigler, state representative ^[39]

Other individuals

• Amy Fried, political scientist ^[41]
• Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative (D–MA) ^[42]

Local Democratic organizations

• Androscoggin County Democratic Party ^[36]
• Lewiston Democratic Party ^{[43] [44] [36]}

National organizations

• American Association for Justice ^[39]
• Common Defense ^[39]
• Committee for an Effective Congress ^[39]
• Congressional Progressive Caucus ^[45]
• End Citizens United ^[39]
• VoteVets.org ^[39]
• Tech Solidarity ^[39]

Local and statewide organizations

• Maine People's Alliance ^[46]

Trade Unions

• BMDA, Local 3999, United Auto Workers ^[39]
• IAM Local S7 Shipyard Communicator ^[39]
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ^[39]
• International Association of Fire Fighters ^[39]
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2327 ^[39]
• Maine AFL-CIO ^[47]
• Maine State Council of Machinists ^[39]
• Maine Trial Lawyers Association ^[39]
• National Nurses United ^[48]
• Professional Firefighters of Maine ^[39]
• United Steelworkers District 4 ^[39]

Lucas St. Clair

Individuals

• Jared Huffman, congressman for California's 2nd congressional district ^[49]
• Tim Rich, businessman, former candidate for ME-02 in 2018 ^[50]

Organizations

• League of Conservation Voters ^[51]

Newspapers

• Bangor Daily News ^[52]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	RCV round	Jonathan Fulford	Jared Golden	Craig Olson	Lucas St. Clair	Other	Undecided
Survey USA [53] (with RCV)	April 26-May 1, 2018	217 LV	± 7.2%	Round 1	17%	22%	5%	25%	-	31%
				Round 2	27%	35%	-	38%	-
				Round 3	-	49%	-	51%	-
Global Strategy Group [54]	October 2–5, 2017	300	± 5.7%	N/A	-	8%	-	40%	7%	45%

Fundraising

(Through March 31, 2017) ^[55]

• Jared Golden: $618,380.33
• Lucas St. Clair: $424,958.42
• Jonathan Fulford (withdrawn): $166,989.79
• Craig Olson: $100,299.00
• Tim Rich (withdrawn): $72,197.20
• Emily Cain (not running): $24,692.88

Debates

2018 Maine's 2nd congressional district democratic primary debates

No.	Date	Host	Moderator	Link	Democratic	Democratic	Democratic
Key:  P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
					Jared Golden	Craig Olson	Lucas St. Clair
1	Jun. 5, 2018	Maine Public Television	Jennifer Rooks	WETA [56]	P	P	P
2	Jun. 6, 2018	WABI-TV WAGM-TV WMTW (TV)	Meghan Torjussen	[57]	P	P	P

Results

Democratic primary results [58]
Party		Candidate	Round 1			Round 2
			Votes	%	Transfer	Votes	% (gross)	% (net)
	Democratic	Jared Golden	20,987	46.4%	+2,624	23,611	52.2%	54.3%
	Democratic	Lucas St. Clair	17,742	39.2%	+2,111	19,853	43.9%	45.7%
	Democratic	Craig Olson	3,993	8.8%	-3,993	Eliminated
	Democratic	Jonathan Fulford	2,489	5.5%	-2,489	Eliminated
Total active votes			45,211	100%		43,464		100.0%
Exhausted ballots			-		+1,747	1,747	3.9%
Total votes			45,211	100%		45,211	100.0%

% (gross) = percent of all valid votes cast (without eliminating the exhausted votes)
% (net) = percent of votes cast after eliminating the exhausted votes

Green primary

Failed to make the ballot

• Henry John Bear, state representative for Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians ^[59]

Libertarian primary

Withdrawn

• Brian Kresge, writer (running for State House)

Independent candidates

• Tiffany Bond, attorney ^[60]
• Will Hoar, schoolteacher ^[60]

General election

All candidates except for Poliquin said they would abide by the results of ranked-choice voting and make second and third choices when they vote. Poliquin said he would only cast a first-round vote for himself, stating that he felt no one but him is qualified for the seat. ^[61]

Though Poliquin led in the first round of vote tabulation by 2,171 votes, he did not have a majority of the votes, initiating the ranked-choice tabulation process. Poliquin filed a lawsuit in federal court on November 13, seeking an order to halt the second-round tabulation of ballots and declare ranked-choice voting unconstitutional. ^[62] Poliquin's request for an injunction to halt the ranked-choice voting process was rejected, shortly before Matthew Dunlap, the Maine Secretary of State, announced Golden as the winner by 3,509 votes after votes for independent candidates Tiffany Bond and Will Hoar were eliminated and ballots with these votes had their second- or third-choice votes counted. ^[63]

Poliquin requested a recount of the ballots just before the deadline of November 26. ^[64] After several days of counting with the result not being significantly changed, Poliquin ended the recount after incurring $15,000 in fees. ^[65] Poliquin also stated that his lawsuit would continue ^[66] and asked Judge Lance Walker, the federal judge hearing his lawsuit, to order a new election be held should he decline to hold ranked-choice voting unconstitutional. ^[67] Judge Walker ruled against Poliquin on the merits on December 13, rejecting all of his arguments. ^[68]

Poliquin appealed to the Court of Appeals in Boston and requested an order to prevent Golden from being certified as the winner, but that request was rejected. ^[65] On December 24, Poliquin dropped his lawsuit, allowing Golden to take the seat. ^{[69] [70] [71] [72]} As a result, Poliquin became the first incumbent to lose the 2nd Congressional District since 1916, whereas Golden became the first member of Congress to be elected via ranked-choice voting. This also made New England's delegation to the House entirely Democratic for the first time since 2012.

Gov. Paul LePage, as one of his last acts in office, reluctantly initialed the certificate of election for Golden, adding the words "stolen election" to it to express his personal dislike of ranked-choice voting. ^{[73] [74]}

Endorsements

Jared Golden

National politicians

• Joe Biden, former Vice President of the United States ^[75]
• Barack Obama, former President of the United States ^[76]
• Seth Moulton, Representative for Massachusetts's 6th Congressional district ^[39]
• Brian Schatz, U.S. Senator (D-HI) ^[77]

Local and statewide politicians

• Robert Alley, State Representative ^[39]
• Betty Austin, state representative ^[39]
• Heidi Brooks, state representative ^[39]
• Barbara Cardone, state representative ^[39]
• Michael E. Carpenter, State Senator and former Maine Attorney General ^[39]
• Robert Duchesne, state representative ^[39]
• Michelle Dunphy, state representative ^[39]
• Jessica L. Fay, state representative ^[39]
• Aaron Frey, state representative ^[39]
• Roger Fuller, state representative ^[39]
• Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives ^[40]
• Gay Grant, state representative ^[39]
• James R. Handy, state representative ^[39]
• Brian Hubbell, state representative ^[39]
• Victoria Kornfield, state representative ^[39]
• Walter Kumiega, state representative ^[39]
• Nate Libby, state senator ^[39]
• Louis Luchini, state representative ^[39]
• Colleen Madigan, state representative ^[39]
• John Madigan, state representative ^[39]
• Danny Martin, state representative ^[39]
• John L. Martin, state representative, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives ^[39]
• David McCrea, state representative ^[39]
• Gina Melaragno, state representative ^[39]
• Catherine Nadeau, state representative ^[39]
• Anne Perry, state representative ^[39]
• Christina "Tina" Riley, state representative ^[39]
• Tom Saviello, state senator (Republican) ^{[78] [79]}
• John Schneck, state representative ^[39]
• Bettyann Sheats, state representative ^[39]
• Stephen Stanley, state representative ^[39]
• Ryan Tipping, state representative ^[39]
• Stanley Paige Zeigler, state representative ^[39]

Individuals

• Amy Fried, political scientist ^[41]
• Stephen King, author ^[80]
• Martin Sheen, actor ^[81]

Trade unions

• Maine AFL-CIO ^[39]
• National Nurses United ^[39]
• United Steelworkers ^[39]
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ^[39]
• Professional Firefighters of Maine ^[39]
• International Association of Fire Fighters ^[39]

Organizations

• End Citizens United ^[39]
• League of Conservation Voters ^[82]
• Maine People's Alliance ^[46]
• MoveOn.org ^[83]
• Sierra Club ^[84]
• VoteVets ^[39]

Media

• Bangor Daily News ^[85]
• Kennebec Journal ^[15]
• Portland Phoenix ^[16]
• Portland Press Herald ^[17]

Bruce Poliquin

National politicians

• Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States ^[86]

Local and statewide politicians

• Susan Collins, US Senator (R-ME) ^[79]

Organizations

• US Chamber of Commerce ^[87]
• America First Action ^[88]
• Sportsman's Alliance of Maine ^[89]
• NRA Political Victory Fund ^[90]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	RCV round	Bruce Poliquin (R)	Jared Golden (D)	Tiffany Bond (I)	Will Hoar (I)	Other	Undecided
Emerson College [25]	October 27–29, 2018	441	± 4.9%	–	46%	47%	–	–	3%	4%
NYT Upshot/Siena College [91]	October 15–18, 2018	501	± 4.8%	–	41%	41%	–	–	–	15%
Global Strategy Group (D) [92]	October 9–12, 2018	400	± 4.9%	–	42%	48%	–	–	–	10%
Pan Atlantic Research [26]	October 1–7, 2018	251	–	–	37%	37%	6%	3%	–	17%
NYT Upshot/Siena College [93]	September 12–14, 2018	506	± 4.8%	–	47%	42%	–	–	–	11%
The Mellman Group (D-Golden) [94]	September 4–7, 2018	–	± 4.9%	–	46%	54%	–	–	–	–
The Mellman Group (D-Golden) [95]	July 25–30, 2018	400	± 4.9%	Round 1	40%	39%	3%	1%	–	16%
	Round 2	48%	48%	4%	–	–	–
	Round 3	49%	51%	–	–	–

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bruce Poliquin (R)	Lucas St. Clair (D)	Other	Undecided
Global Strategy Group [54]	October 2–5, 2017	400	± 4.9%	44%	41%	—	—

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bruce Poliquin (R)	Generic Democrat	Other	Undecided
PPP/Patriot Majority USA [96]	February 12–13, 2018	628	± 3.9%	44%	45%	–	11%
PPP/Patriot Majority USA [97]	October 5–8, 2017	951	± 3.2%	44%	45%	–	11%

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report [98]	Tossup	October 3, 2018
Inside Elections [99]	Tossup	September 28, 2018
Sabato's Crystal Ball [100]	Lean D (flip)	November 5, 2018
Daily Kos [101]	Tossup	September 28, 2018
Fox News [102]	Tossup	September 21, 2018
CNN [103]	Tossup	October 2, 2018
RealClearPolitics [104]	Tossup	September 21, 2018
The New York Times [105]	Tossup	September 26, 2018
Politico [106]	Tossup	September 21, 2018

Debate

2018 Maine's 2nd congressional district debate

No.	Date	Host	Moderator	Link	Republican	Democratic	Independent	Independent
Key:  P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
					Bruce Poliquin	Jared Golden	Tiffany Bond	Will Hoar
1	Oct. 16, 2018	WABI-TV WAGM-TV WMTW-TV		[107]	P	P	P	P

Results

Maine's 2nd congressional district, 2018 results [108]
Party		Candidate	Round 1			Round 2
			Votes	%	Transfer	Votes	% (gross)	% (net)
	Democratic	Jared Golden	132,013	45.6%	+ 10,427	142,440	49.18%	50.62%
	Republican	Bruce Poliquin (incumbent)	134,184	46.3%	+ 4,747	138,931	47.97%	49.38%
	Independent	Tiffany Bond	16,552	5.7%	- 16,552	Eliminated
	Independent	Will Hoar	6,875	2.4%	- 6,875	Eliminated
Total active votes			289,624	100%		281,371		100%
Exhausted ballots			-		+8,253	8,253	2.85%
Total votes			289,624	100%		289,624	100%
	Democratic gain from Republican

% (gross) = percent of all valid votes cast (without eliminating the exhausted votes)
% (net) = percent of votes cast after eliminating the exhausted votes

Poliquin led on first preferences with 46.4% to Golden's 45.6% and 8.1% for the two independents. However, as no candidate had a majority of the votes, the votes cast for the two independents were redistributed between Poliquin and Golden (those that didn't give a preference for either of the candidates were exhausted) and Golden won the election. The reason both independents were eliminated in a single round, as opposed to only the 4th place candidate, was because of the mathematical impossibility of the 3rd place candidate moving into 2nd place even if they had received all of the 4th place candidate's redistributed votes.

Of the votes left in the count, Golden won with 50.62% of the vote to Poliquin's 49.38%. Including exhausted votes, the final count was Golden 49.2%, Poliquin 48.0%, and 2.8% exhausted.

The votes for the two independents were redistributed as follows: 44.5% went to Golden, 20.3% went to Poliquin, and 35.2% were exhausted votes (i.e., they didn't give a preference to either of the remaining candidates).

See also

• 2018 United States House of Representatives elections

References

1. "Maine became the first state in the country Tuesday to pass ranked choice voting". Boston Globe. November 10, 2016. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
2. "Maine Voters Overrule Their Leaders". The Atlantic. June 15, 2018. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
3. "Ranked-choice voting fans hope Maine's experiment pays off". Miami Herald . June 21, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
4. Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
5. Scott Thistle (May 29, 2018). "State lawmaker submits enough signatures to challenge Rep. Pingree". Portland Press Herald . Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
6. "Maine GOP Governor Backs Independent In Congressional Race". MPBN. June 20, 2018. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
7. "Massive Group of ME Republican Leaders Endorse Marty Grohman for Congress". MartyGrohman.com. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
8. Scott Thistle (December 19, 2017). "Pingree says she won't run for governor in 2018". Portland Press Herald . Archived from the original on December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
9. "Grohman to challenge Pingree in 1st District as independent". Mainebiz.biz. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
10. "Endorsements: Chellie Pingree for Congress". Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
11. "2018 Convention Speech: Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson". Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2018– via www.youtube.com.
12. "End Citizens United Endorses Rep. Chellie Pingree for Re-Election". ChelliePingree.com. October 11, 2018. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
13. "VOTE 2018 / EqualityMaine". Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
14. "Chellie Pingree worthy of top choice in Maine's 1st Congressional District". October 21, 2018. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
15. "Our Endorsement: Board endorses Pingree, Golden". CentralMaine.com. October 22, 2018. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
16. "It's Time To Vote: Phoenix Endorsements for the 2018 Elections". ConwayDailySun.com. November 1, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
17. "Our Endorsement: Editorial Board endorses Chellie Pingree, Jared Golden for U.S. House". October 22, 2018. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
18. "Endorsements / Holbrook4ME". Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
19. "Race for 1st Congressional District seat tests Republicans' unity". Portland Press Herald. September 13, 2018. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
20. "Maine Sportsman's Coalition Backs Grohman for Congress". MartyGrohman.com. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
21. "Incumbent Independents". Unite America. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
22. Marty Grohman [@mgrohman] (October 10, 2018). "BIG NEWS: The @USChamber just endorsed my campaign for Congress! The Chamber represents 3 million business worldwide and its message is clear: if you're interested in building Maine's economy, the choice in this election is crystal clear. #fixnotfight #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
23. YouTube
24. WETA
25. Emerson College
26. Pan Atlantic Research
27. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
28. Collins, Steve; Writer, Staff (January 24, 2018). "Bruce Poliquin has almost $2 million in campaign cash, far more than opponents". Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
29. Pathé, Simone (July 20, 2017). "Democrats Eyeing Maine Natives to Unseat Bruce Poliquin". Roll Call . Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
30. Shepherd, Michael (July 24, 2017). "National Democrats recruit a Marine born in Maine to challenge Poliquin". Bangor Daily News . Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
31. Roll Call Staff (August 25, 2017). "At the Races: As Goes Maine, So Goes ..." Roll Call . Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
32. Bukaty, Robert (October 2, 2017). "Lucas St. Clair Says He's Running for Congress, Shaking Up Democratic Primary Field". MPBN . Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
33. Collins, Steve; Writer, Staff (January 16, 2018). "Democratic 2nd District congressional race heats up". Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
34. Cousins, Christopher (July 19, 2017). "Third Democrat jumps into race to oust Bruce Poliquin". Bangor Daily News . Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
35. Pat Callaghan [@PatCallaghan6] (April 30, 2018). "One of the Dems running in CD-2 has quit the race. Release from Jonathan Fulford campaign says "Today, I suspended my campaign for personal reasons. I regret the necessity and will not be taking questions at this time." #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
36. Collins, Steve; Writer, Staff (February 7, 2018). "Congressional contender Tim Rich alleges 'rigged game' in Democratic primary". Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
37. "View Filing". Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
38. @ourrevolution (April 29, 2018). "We're proud to endorse @fulfordformaine to represent the people of Maine's 2nd district. Jonathan will fight to get big money out of politics and to make sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes. ourrev.us/jonathan-fulfo..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
39. "Endorsements - Jared Golden for Congress". Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
40. Gideon, Sara (March 8, 2018). "Sara Gideon: Why I support Jared Golden". Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel . Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
41. Amy Fried [@ASFried] (May 24, 2018). "Am endorsing Golden for the nomination He's accomplished the most and done so in a divided legislature with a GOP governor, and did so after serving his country in the military and working in DC for a U.S. senator. All the Dems have better policies than Poliquin. #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
42. Bradner, Eric (November 30, 2017). "Rep. Seth Moulton's plan to overhaul House Democrats with a 'new generation of leaders'". CNN . Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
43. "Log into Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
44. @golden4congress (September 29, 2017). "I'm honored to receive the..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
45. Progressive Caucus [@electprogress] (June 4, 2018). "Jared Golden in #ME02 @golden4congress" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
46. "Maine People's Alliance endorses Jared Golden in 'high stakes' CD-2 race". Beacon. June 7, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
47. Jared Golden [@golden4congress] (May 9, 2018). "Proud to be .@MEAFLCIO endorsed! #labor #unions #Democrats" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
48. @NationalNurses (May 18, 2018). "NNU is proud to endorse Jared Golden @golden4congress for Congress in ME-02. Nurses are on #TeamGolden because Jared stands with labor and will work for #MedicareForAll!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
49. Anthony Emerson [@AnthonyEmerso14] (June 12, 2018). "At the 11th hour, @JaredHuffman endorses @Lucasstclair #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
50. Shepherd, Michael (November 30, 2017). "Dropouts, straw polls hint at who to take seriously in crowded Maine governor's race". Bangor Daily News . Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
51. Auster, Craig (January 29, 2018). "LCV ACTION FUND ENDORSES LUCAS ST. CLAIR FOR CONGRESS". LCV.org. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
52. "St. Clair's monument work gives him edge in 2nd District Democratic primary". Bangor Daily News. May 24, 2018. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
53. Survey USA
54. Global Strategy Group
55. "2018 Election United States House - Maine - District 02". FEC.gov. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
56. WETA
57. YouTube
58. "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections and Voting, Tabulations June 12, 2018". www.maine.gov. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
59. "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions". www.maine.gov. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
60. @TiffanyBond (June 21, 2018). "#mepolitics, Our #ME02 ballot is set. @tiffanybond @RepPoliquin @golden4congress @willhoar I look forward to competition that brings out the best in us. Pick the person who will make functional, humane law for rural Maine. Gentlemen, be kind and wise in your campaigns" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
61. Collins, Steve (October 23, 2018). "Poliquin indicates he might challenge ranked-choice results if he doesn't win". Kennebec Journal . Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
62. Mistler, Steve (November 13, 2018). "In Tight Race, Maine Republican Sues To Block State's Ranked-Choice Voting Law". NPR. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
63. "Ranked-Choice Voting Delivers Democrats A House Seat". NPR. November 15, 2018. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
64. "Poliquin campaign asks for CD2 recount". WCSH. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
65. Mistler, Steve (December 21, 2018). "Poliquin's Request To Block Certification Of 2nd District Election". mainepublic.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
66. "Judge denies Polquin's request to stop rank-choice voting process". WGME. November 15, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
67. "RCV Fight: Poliquin calls for 'new election' if judge does not rule against ranked-choice". newscentermaine.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
68. Collins, Steve; Journal, Sun (December 13, 2018). "Federal court rules against Bruce Poliquin's challenge of ranked-choice voting". Lewiston Sun Journal. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
69. Murphy, Edward (December 24, 2018). "Poliquin drops challenge to ranked-choice voting, clearing way for Golden to take seat in Congress". The Portland Press Herald . Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
70. "Poliquin ends ranked-choice voting lawsuit". WMTW News 8. December 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
71. Chaitin, Daniel (December 24, 2018). "GOP lawmaker drops challenge to Maine's ranked-choice voting". The Washington Examiner . Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
72. Burke, Michael (December 24, 2018). "GOP lawmaker to drop challenge to Maine's new voting system". The Hill . Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
73. Mistler, Steve (December 29, 2018). "LePage Begrudgingly Certifies Results Of 2nd Congressional District Race". MPBN . Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
74. Collins, Steve (November 19, 2019). "If Bruce Poliquin had embraced ranked-choice voting he might have won, some say". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine.
75. Jared Golden [@golden4congress] (October 17, 2018). "I am honored to receive the endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden #ME02 #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
76. Noel Gallagher (October 1, 2018). "Obama endorses Democrat Jared Golden in bid to unseat Poliquin in 2nd District". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
77. Brian Schatz. "I'm giving to @golden4congress please feel free to join me and send help too. Thank you". Twitter. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
78. Fried, Amy [@ASFried] (August 20, 2018). "I didn't know that GOP Sen. Saviello is backing Golden. Perhaps they'll be a Republicans for Golden group. #mepolitics https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-look-to-flip-new-englands-one-gop-house-seat-1534757401 ..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
79. Kamp, Jon (August 20, 2018). "Democrats Look to Flip New England's One GOP House Seat". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
80. King, Stephen [@StephenKing] (August 19, 2018). "https://youtu.be/SVKcHMCh1EQ This is the guy running in Maine's 2nd district against NRA sweetheart Bruce Poliquin" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
81. Emerson, Anthony [@AnthonyEmerso14] (November 5, 2018). "Jed Bartlet himself, Martin Sheen, is backing @golden4congress #MEPolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
82. "LCV Action Fund Endorses Jared Golden for Congress". League of Conservation Voters. August 29, 2018. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
83. "Jared Golden - Candidate Profile - MoveOn.org". MoveOn.org. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
84. "Sierra Club #ClimateVoter Guide: Endorsements". March 19, 2021. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
85. "Golden Will Represent 2nd District's Interests, Not a "Radical" Agenda". October 18, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
86. Trump, Donald [@realDonaldTrump] (October 25, 2018). ".@BrucePoliquin from Maine is a great Congressman. He is in a tough fight against a very liberal Nancy Pelosi Democrat. Bruce has helped bring JOBS back to his State and totally protects your Great Second Amendment. We need to keep Bruce in Washington. He has my Full Endorsement!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
87. Collins, Steve [@SteveCollinsSJ] (August 28, 2018). "The @USChamber is weighing in with a new tv ad touting @RepPoliquin for his fight against tariffs that it says would hurt Maine exporters. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/3EvFzBAEonQ #mepolitics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
88. Collins, Steve (August 24, 2018). "Pro-Trump Super PAC to spend $1 million to help Bruce Poliquin". Lewiston Sun Journal . Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
89. Bruce Poliquin. "JUST IN: The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine recognizes my hard work on behalf of Maine's sportsmen and women. I have long fought for Maine's strong traditional outdoor heritage and I will continue to do so as our Congressman. I appreciate their endorsement and support. #mepolitics". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
90. "NRA Endorses Poliquin in the 2nd Congressional District of Maine". NRA-ILA. September 20, 2018. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018. ...the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today endorsed Bruce Poliquin for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2nd Congressional District of Maine.
91. NYT Upshot/Siena College
92. Global Strategy Group (D)
93. NYT Upshot/Siena College
94. The Mellman Group (D-Golden)
95. The Mellman Group (D-Golden)
96. PPP/Patriot Majority USA
97. PPP/Patriot Majority USA
98. "2018 House Race Ratings | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
99. "House Ratings | Inside Elections". insideelections.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
100. "2018 House". www.centerforpolitics.org. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
101. "Daily Kos: House 2018". Daily Kos. September 28, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
102. "Fox News Midterms 2018 America's Election HQ". Fox News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
103. "CNN Key Races: Path to House majority comes into focus as a dozen races move toward Democrats". CNN . July 29, 2018. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
104. "RealClearPolitics - 2018 Election Maps - Battle for the House 2018". www.realclearpolitics.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
105. Lee, Jasmine C.; Burns, Alexander (August 13, 2018). "Elections 2018: Tracking the House Races to Watch in the 2018 Midterm Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
106. "Who wins 2018? Predictions for Every House & Senate Election". POLITICO. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
107. C-SPAN
108. "Results Certified to the Governor 11/26/18". www.maine.gov. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.

External links

• Candidates at Vote Smart
• Candidates at Ballotpedia
• Campaign finance at FEC
• Campaign finance at OpenSecrets

Official campaign websites for first district candidates

• Marty Grohman (I) for Congress
• Mark Holbrook (R) for Congress
• Chellie Pingree (D) for Congress

Official campaign websites for second district candidates

• Tiffany Bond (I) for Congress
• Jared Golden (D) for Congress
• Will Hoar (I) for Congress Archived 2018-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
• Bruce Poliquin (R) for Congress