Maine House district 2 winner LePage sets up major race with Democrats still awaiting nominee

Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is moving onto the general election in Maine’s 2nd District, NBC News projects, as the crowded Democratic field in one of the country’s most important battleground districts remains unresolved ahead of a ranked choice voting tabulation.

This seat is being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and a candidate who has held onto the seat repeatedly, even as Trump carried the district in 2020 and 2024. His decision to retire jeopardizes Democrats’ ability to hold the seat, and Republicans are optimistic they can finally flip it.

Joe Baldacci, a state senator and son of a former governor, is the establishment pick, running with a boost from the House Democratic campaign committee and the top House Democratic super PAC. State Auditor Matt Dunlap, the former secretary of state, is running as a progressive, embracing “Medicare for All” and leaning on his decades-long political career in the state

And Jordan Wood, the former chief of staff to then-California Rep. Katie Porter and a top staffer at End Citizens United, is also running from the progressive wing of the party. He’s the top fundraiser in the race by a large margin.

Since no candidate is projected to win the majority of the vote, the race moves onto the ranked choice tally, in which voters’ second, third and fourth choices (where applicable) are reallocated from low-performing candidates until there are only two candidates remaining — and the candidate with the most votes wins.

Whichever Democrat wins will be at the center of one of the most competitive House races in the country.

The other major battleground seats on the ballot Tuesday are in Nevada, home to a trio of incumbent Democrats — two representing seats then-Vice President Kamala Harris won by about 2 points in 2024, and another Trump won by less than 1 point. Democratic Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford have repeatedly bested Republican challengers in battleground races.

Meanwhile, in South Carolina, state Sen. Wes Climer ran unopposed in the Republican primary to replace Rep. Ralph Norman, who decided to run for governor. He’ll be the heavy favorite to join Congress next year in a district Trump won by almost 23 points in 2024.

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