ME-02: Golden declared winner after ranked-choice run-off for Maine's 2nd District
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden won the ranked choice vote with 50.35% for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, which election officials determined Friday through a tabulation process that took four days.
Maine’s 2nd District is among the outstanding races to determine how big of a majority Republicans will hold in the U.S. House after the GOP clinched the 218 House seats needed Wednesday evening, resulting in a Republican trifecta with former President Donald Trump set to reassume office and the Senate flipping red.
In a statement, Golden said, “today’s result reaffirms what we have known for more than a week: The people have chosen me to continue as their representative for another term in Congress. I am grateful for their confidence.”
Golden won the plurality vote, though by fewer than 2,200 votes over his challenger, Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault. However, ranked choice voting tabulations were needed to determine the winner because neither Golden nor Theriault earned more than 50% of the vote as the race also included a declared write-in candidate, Diana Merenda.
https://mainemorningstar.com/2024/11/15/us-rep-golden-named-winner-after-ranked-choice-run-off/