The first presidential polling published out of the Pine Tree State delivered some surprising news, showing former Republican President Donald J. Trump leading incumbent Democratic President Joseph R. Biden by six points.
Although former President Trump won Maine’s more conservative Second Congressional District in both 2016 and 2020, he lost statewide in both elections.
In 2020, President Biden beat Trump 53 percent (435,072 votes) to 44 percent (360,737 votes).
The poll results suggest nearly a massive swing in Maine voters’ preferences between the two candidates as the head into a rematch this fall. Although 38 percent of respondents said they would support Trump, as opposed to 32 percent who would support Biden, a full 21 percent said they would prefer to vote for another candidate and 9 percent were undecided.
In Maine’s Second Congressional District, the poll revealed that the Republican primary race between Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent) and Mike Soboleski (R-Phillips) is wide open, with 59 percent of likely Republican primary voters undecided.
Twenty-eight percent of voters said they planned to vote for Theriault while 10 percent said they would vote for Soboleski.
Pan Atlantic Research, an independent marketing research and consulting firm based in Portland, published the findings of its 63rd Omnibus Poll on Monday.
The poll sheds light on public opinion across a range of other public policy, business, economic, and technological issues.
This latest iteration of the poll, conducted between February 6th and 14th, 2024, surveyed 836 Mainers aged 18 or older, yielding a sample of 791 likely voters.
The survey results have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5% at the 95 percent confidence level.
The poll reveals a state divided, with 43 percent of respondents feeling Maine is on the “wrong track” compared to 39 percent who believe it’s headed in the “right direction.”
Democrats were more likely than Republicans, by a wide margin, to believe that the state was on the right track.
The poll also reveals a striking disconnect between the priorities of lawmakers in Augusta versus the concerns of most Mainers.
While topics like gun control, abortion, and green energy subsidies have dominated State House politics, 68 percent of respondents said the most important issue facing the state was the high cost of living, followed by 37 percent who said inflation and 32 percent who said high taxes.
Just 21 percent of respondents said climate change was the most important issue facing Maine.
Among Maine’s politicians, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) enjoyed a +32 percent net favorability rating, while Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) had a +6 net favorability rating.
Biden is deeply unpopular with Maine voters, with a net favorability rating of -23 percent. Although Biden remains slightly popular with a majority of registered Democrats, his favorability among independent voters has plunged.
In April 2022, his favorability sat at -7 with independent voters; however, two years later, his favorability among unenrolled voters is -34.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="26000 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=26000">6 Comments
Never forget “Goldens rule” 2nd place wins or we just keep counting
Voters registered “unenrolled” can now vote in the primaries for Trump. Not necessary but show an ID and write a note for Shanna Bellows in an empty space on the ballot.
Don’t fret, the Demo. have a plan. The just voted to have NO voter photo ID needed to vote and extra ink for mail in votes. A great love for the country made them do it!
I know two people who went in to vote and found out they “already voted”. Maines elections are rigged and this state is lost.
Did the illegal alien proponents think no one would notice the invasion?
Biden came, we observed, Trump wins! How in hell does Biden have an favorability rating of -23% ?. He should be a lot worse than that.
I wouldn’t be too giddy about the primary voting results. Come November, 7% of the cease fire voters will come home to the democrat party, 2% will go for Kennedy and 1% will hold out. If every Republican turns out on Election Day, to get above the cheat line, we win!