Jared Golden Wins Maine Congressional Race

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has been declared the winner of Maine's 2nd Congressional District race, receiving 50.35% of the vote after a ranked choice voting process. Golden's victory followed a close contest against Republican Austin Theriault, who garnered 49.65% of the votes, necessitating the ranked choice system because neither candidate achieved a majority on Election Day. The tabulation process took several days, during which over 12,000 ballots that were either blank or had write-in votes were reallocated to determine the final outcome. Golden's win marks his third victory in four elections in this competitive district, which has historically leaned Republican in presidential elections. Despite the declared results, Theriault's campaign has indicated plans to request a recount based on the narrow margin. The recount process, dictated by Maine law, is expected to take place as election officials work to certify the results by the November 25 deadline.