2 weeks Ago
In a closely watched congressional race that could have national implications. Republican challenger Austin Theriault has a slight advantage over incumbent U.S.
Rep. Jared Golden, according to poll results released this week. The survey of 812 likely voters by Portland-based Pan Atlantic Research shows Theriault – a former state lawmaker and race car driver from Fort Kent – with a 47-44 advantage, with 9 percent undecided.
The lead is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%, which means the race is a toss-up. Nevertheless, it suggests Golden, who was first elected to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District in 2018, narrowly reelected in 2020 and 2022 and has increasingly broken with Democrats on key votes, is fighting to keep his seat.
The poll was conducted between Sept. 5-15 and was not commissioned or paid for by any entity. In addition to the congressional race, voters were asked about their preference for president, two other congressional races and for the five statewide referendum questions.
It’s the first public poll released with any data on the ballot questions. Among those surveyed, 50 percent said they planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and 41 percent said they would vote for former President Donald Trump. Trump, however, holds a 49-42 advantage with voters in the 2nd Congressional District, which is filled with rural towns that often lean conservative.
That’s significant because Maine is one of only two states (Nebraska is the other) that awards electoral college votes based on congressional districts. Each of Maine’s two districts is gets one electoral vote and the state overall winner is gets two. In both 2016 and 2020, Trump lost the 1st District and the state overall but managed to win the 2nd District.
There is an outside chance this year based on electoral college that Maine’s lone vote in the 2nd District could allow Trump to reach the 270 votes need to win. U.S.
Sen. Angus King, an independent and two-term incumbent, holds a commanding 53-23 lead over his main challenger, Republican Demi Kouzounas, former chair of the state party. Democrat David Costello and independent Jason Cherry also are in the race but are both polling below 10 percent.
In the 1st District congressional race, 8-term U.S. Rep.
Chellie Pingree is way ahead of Republican challenger Ronald Russell, 53-28, which is not a surprise since Maine’s 1st District leans much more Democratic. But the 2nd District is more evenly split, even though Golden is a Democrat. That race is one of several being watched by national committees because control of the U.
S. House is at stake, and it’s seen as a chance for Republicans to flip a seat held by a Democrat. Theriault’s campaign has been touting the Pan Atlantic poll since its release Wednesday, but it’s still early to draw any conclusions.
Theriault and Golden haven’t debated yet and even though the election is less than two months away, not everyone has been tuning in closely. As for the five referendum questions, the poll suggests there is varying level of support for each. Question 5 – the flag referendum – appears to be the biggest unknown.
Among those surveyed, 40 percent support changing Maine’s official flag to the pine tree and star design, and 40 percent planned to vote no. The rest were undecided. Question 2-4, the three bond proposals, have leads of at least 20 points among those polls.
Support for Question 1, which would limit contributions to certain political action committees in Maine, was supported by 69 percent of those polled, compared to just 15 percent who opposed. The Pan Atlantic poll released this week is noteworthy if for no other reason than there haven’t been many There have been few public polls conducted in Maine so far this election cycle. The only other major survey that’s been released was by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center last month .
That showed Harris with a much larger lead in Maine – 55-38 – and even had her leading in the 2nd District by a 5-point margin. The 2nd District Congressional race was not included. We invite you to add your comments.
We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs .
You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs .
Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous.
