U.S. House · Maine's 2nd District
Northern, western, and central Maine, including Lewiston, Bangor, and Aroostook County — geographically most of the state outside greater Portland.
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED
Paul LePage, projected winner
Dunlap conceded Nov 5; no news organization call found and the ranked-choice tabulation (Nov 9) is not yet confirmed by a second source.
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Paul LePage | 170,265 | 49.9% |
| Matthew Dunlap | 164,845 | 48.3% |
| Gregory Ward (write-in) | 125 | 0% |
About 98% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗ABC News 4: Dunlap concedes to LePage (Nov 5) ↗Bangor Daily News: ME-2 ranked-choice runoff ↗
Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research
- Incumbent Jared Golden (D), first elected in 2018, did not seek re-election, leaving the seat open for the first time since 2014.[1]
- Donald Trump carried the 2nd District 53.5%-44.5% over Kamala Harris in 2024, while Golden won re-election in the district 50.3%-49.7% the same year; Republicans consider the open seat a pickup opportunity in 2026.[1]
- Matthew Dunlap defeated Joe Baldacci, Paige Loud, and Jordan Wood in the Democratic primary. Paul LePage, Maine's former governor, won the Republican primary unopposed after James Clark did not make the ballot.[1]
On the November 3 ballot · 3 candidates
Issue evidence — side by side
Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.
Protect legal access to abortion
- Matthew DunlapSupports[4]
Campaign website says he will stand up for a woman's right to make her own health decisions and that safe access to reproductive health care should be a constitutional right.
- Paul LePage—
- Gregory Ward—
Expand public health coverage
- Matthew DunlapSupports[2]
Supports restoring ACA tax credits in the near term and says Medicare for All is the longer-term goal.
- Paul LePageOpposes[3]
In an October 1, 2026 debate he said he would not support expanding Medicaid even if it lowered the number of uninsured Mainers and criticized Medicare for All.
- Gregory Ward—
Broad tariffs on imported goods
- Matthew DunlapOpposes[4]
Campaign website says he will fight to get President Trump's blanket tariffs lifted, while supporting strategically applied tariffs against unfair trade practices.
- Paul LePage—
- Gregory Ward—
Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad
- Matthew DunlapSupports[3]
In a October 1, 2026 debate he called for Congress to pass a war powers resolution to stop the war in Iran.
- Paul LePage—
- Gregory Ward—
Research notes & limits
Open seat: incumbent Jared Golden did not seek re-election. This is one of 23 U.S. House districts nationwide that Democrats are defending that Trump carried in 2024, per Ballotpedia's analysis. No campaign website, Candidate Connection survey, or news profile was found for Gregory Ward, so his birthplace, education, and career are not known. Matthew Dunlap's campaign site could not be loaded; his biography relies on Ballotpedia, Wikipedia, and AP.
Sources · 15
Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Matthew Dunlap and Paul LePage candidate profiles · Ballotpedia (curated from candidates' campaign statements) Candidate's own words
- 3.In first debate, LePage and Dunlap clash over healthcare, affordability, immigration · Maine Morning Star · 2026-10-01 News report
- 4.Matthew Dunlap campaign website statement (April 15, 2026) · Matthew Dunlap campaign website, via Ballotpedia · 2026-04-15 Candidate's own words
- 5.Matthew Dunlap and Paul LePage candidate profiles · Ballotpedia (curated from candidates' campaign statements) Candidate's own words
- 6.Matthew Dunlap campaign website statement (April 15, 2026) · Matthew Dunlap campaign website, via Ballotpedia · 2026-04-15 Candidate's own words
- 7.Matthew Dunlap · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 8.Pingree and Charles will compete for Maine governor and Dunlap gets Democratic nod for US House · Associated Press (via News4JAX) · 2026-06-19 News report
- 9.Matthew Dunlap and Paul LePage candidate profiles · Ballotpedia (curated from candidates' campaign statements) Candidate's own words
- 10.Paul LePage · Ballotpedia Reference
- 11.Paul LePage · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 12.Meet Paul · LePage for Congress Candidate's own words
- 13.Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 14.Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 15.Gregory Ward · Ballotpedia Reference