Dems claim victory in key Maine congressional district race; no race projection

With the balance of power in the U.S. House still up for grabs, Democrats were claiming victory in a key tossup race in Maine.

While NBC News hasn't projected a winner at 77% of votes counted, the Maine Democratic Party said Wednesday afternoon that Rep. Jared Golden held on to the seat, fending off a challenge from former NASCAR driver and state Rep. Austin Theriault.

"Mainers want a true leader representing them in Washington, and have re-elected him to a fourth term so he can continue to fight for the people of Maine’s second congressional district. Congratulations again to Jared, Izzy, and the Golden family," Party Chair Bev Uhlenhake said in a statement.

Theriault's campaign released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying they expected an automatic recount.

Statement from the Theriault campaign:

“This race still remains too close to call. We’re well within the margin that would trigger a state-funded automatic recount, and every vote should be counted.”

— Austin Theriault (@AustinTheriault) November 6, 2024

The matchup between Golden, a moderate known for defying party orthodoxy, and Theriault is one of a handful of pivotal races with a chance to influence control of the U.S. House of Representatives during a competitive election year. It played out in the largest congressional district by area on the East Coast, a largely rural part of Maine where former President Donald Trump has proven very popular with voters.

Golden is a former Marine who is in his third term representing the 2nd Congressional District, which is typically described as a swing district. The district covers a vast part of Maine that includes a handful of small cities but is perhaps best known as the home of traditional northern New England industries such as lobster fishing and logging.

During the campaign, Golden touted his ability to work with members of either political party along with his advocacy on behalf of the lobster industry, which is the lifeblood of the region’s economy.

“I’ve been one of the most independent minded members of Congress, one of the most bipartisan,” Golden said during an October debate, in which he added that he voted against President Joe Biden “more than any other Democrat in the House of Representatives.”

Theriault, who was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2022, spent much of the campaign portraying Golden as too liberal for the district. Although Theriault had the backing of Trump, he also attempted to portray himself as a potential uniter during a divided time in Washington.

“We need more balance and less extremism in Washington,” Theriault said during the October debate. “I’m somebody that can go down there and get the job done. I want to advocate for everybody.”

Golden was first elected to Congress in 2018, when he needed a ranked choice voting count to defeat Republican incumbent Rep Bruce Poliquin. Golden has since been reelected twice, including defeating Poliquin without the need for a ranked count in 2022.

Golden’s victory in 2018 was the first time a member of Congress was elected via ranked choice voting. The voting method seemed unlikely to play a role in this year’s election because there was no third party candidate on the ballot, though write-in candidates were still possible.

Golden has held onto his seat despite Trump dominating the district in recent presidential elections. Maine is one of two states to apportion electoral votes by congressional district — Nebraska is the other — and Trump has twice won his sole New England electoral vote in Maine’s 2nd District.

Maine’s other electoral votes — two for the statewide vote and one of the 1st Congressional District — have gone to the Democratic candidate because the deep blue 1st District is based around Portland, the largest city in the state and a liberal stronghold. Golden ran campaign ads during the race about his willingness to work with Trump for the good of the 2nd District.

In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree sought her ninth term against Republican challenger Ron Russell and independent Ethan Alcorn.

In Maine's Senate race, incumbent Angus King, and independent, was ahead in his bid for a third term, but with much of the vote still to be counted, it was unclear whether ranked voting would be needed to decide the four-way contest.

A candidate must receive a majority of votes under Maine’s ranked voting. If not, an extra voting round means a winner won’t be formally declared for a week under the system that allows voters to rank candidates in order on the ballot. Under the system, the last-place candidate is eliminated, those voters’ second-choices are applied, and votes are reallocated.

King, who was first elected to the Senate in 2012, said he can help bridge the gap in an increasingly divided Washington, expressing worry that “we’re losing the middle in the Senate.”

“I think I have a role to play to bridge the divide, to listen to people, to bring people together and to compromise to solve these difficult issues,” he said when he launched his reelection bid.

King was challenged by Republican Demi Kouzounas, a former GOP state chair, dentist and U.S. Army veteran, and Democrat David Costello, a former senior government official who led the Maryland Department of the Environment and the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Also in the race was another independent, Jason Cherry.

The 80-year-old former governor would be the oldest senator in state history if he completes the term ending in 2030, but he was not dogged during the campaign by questions about his age like President Joseph Biden was before stepping down as the Democratic presidential nominee.

King has survived a pair of cancer scares. He was treated for malignant melanoma — a skin cancer — at 29 and had surgery for prostate cancer in 2015.

In Washington, he is part of an increasingly small number of senators in the middle with the departure of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney.

King has long said he doesn’t want to be tied to any party, though he caucuses with Democrats, and that served him well in a state where independents used to represent the largest voting bloc. But both major parties have overtaken unenrolled voters in sheer numbers in recent years.

NBC10 Boston's Asher Klein contributed to this report.