Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage is in Washington this week after claiming victory in the state’s 2nd Congressional District race, although Maine’s ranked-choice vote count is still underway.
LePage, a Republican, finished just ahead of Democrat Matt Dunlap and announced his win last week. Dunlap conceded on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The largely rural district is the biggest congressional district east of the Mississippi River by area. President Donald Trump carried it in all three of his presidential elections.
If LePage’s lead holds, the race would mark the only Democratic-to-Republican House seat flip in a district that wasn’t redrawn for the midterms. It would also be an unusual bright spot for Republicans after Democrats made major gains, winning a sizable House majority and retaking the Senate.
Although Dunlap conceded, Maine began its ranked-choice count Monday morning. LePage led by more than 5,000 votes but didn’t reach a majority, which would have avoided the process. The secretary of state’s office reported that he received 49.894% of the votes in the district.
As the count got underway, LePage was already in the nation’s capital. His longtime campaign strategist, Brent Littlefield, said the campaign was confident in the result and described the count as a routine process continuing back in Maine.
LePage is expected to join returning and newly elected House Republicans for Tuesday’s vote on their next leader. The contest is between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio. Outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson has opted not to seek the leadership post after the party’s losses.
Asked why he won while many Republicans lost, LePage credited what he called his personal brand.
“I’ve been governor twice. I’ve won this district now for the fourth time,” he said after declaring victory in Bangor last Wednesday. He added that voters know him, trust him and have a sense of what he will do.
LePage said he hopes to find Democrats in Congress willing to work with him. At the same time, he criticized Democrats aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, calling for the party to move away from that faction.
Republicans and Democrats outside that group, he said, would need to work together, arguing that the Democratic Socialists of America are harmful to the country.
