Democrat concedes in open race for Golden’s House seat in Maine

Democrat Matt Dunlap conceded in the open race to succeed retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D) in Maine, a statement that came around the time the Maine secretary of state’s office had announced the race had entered ranked -choice voting.

“This isn’t the result we were hoping for, and I’m disappointed that we came short,” Dunlap said in a statement.

“Congratulations to Paul LePage, I wish him the best,” he continued, offering his thanks to his volunteers for helping his campaign.

Paul LePage’s win marks a key pickup for Republicans, who were looking to reclaim the seat. Golden retired after four terms in the House, and President Trump won the district three times.

The race for the state’s 2nd District headed to ranked-choice voting after LePage received just less than half of the vote.

The office said that LePage had won 170,263 votes in the initial tabulation, just shy of 50 percent, while Dunlap received 164,845 votes, roughly 48 percent. There were more than 6,000 blank votes and 123 votes for write-in candidates.

The state said because LePage didn’t outright win in the first round of vote-counting, the state would move toward ranked-choice voting on Monday.

Alaska and Maine are the only two states to use ranked-choice voting statewide.

Voters are asked to rank their choices for the office. If no candidate gets the majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-scoring candidate is eliminated and the results are retallied, using the second choice from voters whose first pick was knocked out.

Maine’s system was implemented in 2018 after voters approved it on a 2016 ballot measure .

LePage, Maine’s governor from 2011 to 2019, declared victory Wednesday, and his team asserted the Republican would have won after ranked-choice voting.

“I have spoken with Secretary of State Bellows and we are aware initial indications show a small number of blank votes and write-ins for this race may trigger Ranked Choice Voting based on their interpretation of law,” Brent Littlefield, a senior adviser to LePage, said in a statement posted to the candidate’s account on the social platform X. “It is very clear from our campaign team’s work yesterday talking one-on-one with local town clerks, and the publicly available numbers, that Paul LePage is the Congressman-Elect.”

The Hill has reached out to Dunlap’s campaign for comment.

Nathaniel Weixel contributed to this report.