Former two-term Republican Governor Paul LePage has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and is expected to announce his bid for Maine’s second congressional seat today, a knowledgable source indicates.
First elected governor in 2010, LePage went on to cinch a second term four years later. In 2022, he challenged incumbent Governor Janet Mills (D) but fell short by about thirteen points. Maine’s Second Congressional District skews Republican and has voted for President Donald Trump in three elections.
Originally from Androscoggin County, LePage could lay claim to a significant portion of Republican voters in the district easing his path to a primary victory. According to a Facebook post by Washington County GOP Chair David Whitney, LePage is poised to formally announce his candidacy on Monday, possibly in Eastport.
It remains unclear whether incumbent Rep. Jared Golden (D) will seek another term or launch his own bid for the Blaine House. Rep. Golden won a narrow victory over Fort Kent’s Austin Thierault last fall in a race that was ultimately determined by ranked choice voting — as was Golden’s initial win in 2018.
This is a developing story and The Maine Wire will update it as new facts emerge.
