Biography
Matthew Dunlap is the Democratic nominee for Maine's 2nd Congressional District and the sitting Maine State Auditor. A former journalist and columnist, he served in the Maine House, as Secretary of State in two separate stretches, and ran for U.S. Senate in 2012; he won the 2026 Democratic primary after a ranked-choice runoff.[1][2][3][4]
Dunlap was born and raised in Bar Harbor, Maine, and graduated from Mount Desert Island High School.[2][3] He earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1987 and a master's degree in English literature in 1994 from the University of Maine, and also completed Harvard University's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.[2][3]
Dunlap worked for 25 years as a journalist and columnist for The Northwoods Sporting Journal and other publications, and for nearly a year as executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. He has also worked in commercial food service, nonprofit administration, textiles, and farming.[2]
Dunlap served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1996 to 2004, representing Old Town (District 121), and chaired the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.[1][3] The Legislature elected him Maine Secretary of State in 2004, and he served from 2005 to 2011; he was selected again in 2012 and served from 2013 to 2021. He was president of the National Association of Secretaries of State from 2010 to 2011.[1][2][3] In 2012 he finished second in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, behind Cynthia Dill.[3]
The Legislature elected Dunlap State Auditor in December 2020; he served briefly in 2021 and was selected again on November 14, 2022.[1][2][3] He announced a Democratic primary challenge to Rep. Jared Golden in October 2025, and Golden announced in November 2025 that he would not seek re-election. Dunlap won the June 9, 2026 Democratic primary in a ranked-choice runoff.[3][4] Dunlap is a founding board member of the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association and a past member of the University of Maine Board of Visitors and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra board. He lives in Old Town, Maine.[2][3]
- 1.Matthew Dunlap and Paul LePage candidate profiles · Ballotpedia (curated from candidates' campaign statements) Candidate's own words
- 2.Matthew Dunlap campaign website statement (April 15, 2026) · Matthew Dunlap campaign website, via Ballotpedia · 2026-04-15 Candidate's own words
- 3.Matthew Dunlap · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 4.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
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.