Topline Takeaways

• Maine’s congressional district boundaries only saw minor changes, primarily re-balancing district populations as much of the state’s growth over the past decade was in the coastal first district.

• Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) is one of only seven Democratic House members that represents a district Donald Trump won in 2020.

• ME-02 is likely to remain in the spotlight for the 2022 election cycle as former Rep. Bruce Poliquin is running for re-election in his old seat.

Who’s in Control?

Maine requires a 2/3rds vote to pass new district maps. While Democrats have majorities in both state houses alongside a Democratic governor, they do not have the numbers to pass a super-majority vote on party lines. This forced the party to work alongside Republicans to develop a compromise that can garner the necessary votes. Both parties published their own desired district boundaries and an advisory commission developed a hybrid proposal from both maps. This hybrid proposal was passed by legislators and was signed by Gov. Janet Mills in late September. No lawsuits have been filed to challenge the maps.

District Breakdown

Maine’s first congressional district has been a Democratic stronghold for decades. The last Republican to represent the coastal district was James Longley Jr. who only served for a single term before losing re-election to Tom Allen. (Allen went on to hold the seat for 12 years.)

Meanwhile Maine’s second congressional district proves to be a political anomaly in today’s political landscape. It stands as one of the most rural districts in the nation to be represented by a Democrat. It’s also one of only seven districts nationwide that split their ticket in 2020: sending a Democrat to the US House while also casting its electoral vote for Donald Trump.

ME-02 is likely to capture the spotlight in the upcoming 2022 House races. The Republican primary is already making headlines while Democrats have committed to increased investment into the state’s rural organizing apparatus. There’s also the high chance that the general election will be an incumbent v. incumbent rematch. Former Rep. Bruce Poliquin was ousted from the seat in 2018 by current Rep. Jared Golden. After skipping the 2020 elections, Poliquin announced his intent to run for re-election in 2022 and raised $900,000 in the first months of his campaign.

Leftover Links

• See how a Golden v. Poliquin rematch in 2022 will be different than their first match-up in 2018.