Maine resolves ranked choice primaries, setting up the governor’s race and a key House contest

Maine’s major primaries were resolved early Friday morning after the state tabulated its ranked choice votes: Democrat Hannah Pingree will face off against Republican Bobby Charles in the race for governor, while Democrat Matt Dunlap will advance to the general election in the pivotal 2nd Congressional District race, NBC News projects

Maine’s major primaries were resolved early Friday morning after the state tabulated its ranked choice votes: Democrat Hannah Pingree will face off against Republican Bobby Charles in the race for governor, while Democrat Matt Dunlap will advance to the general election in the pivotal 2nd Congressional District race, NBC News projects.

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Pingree becomes the favorite to secure the governorship this fall in a state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris won by about 7 points in 2024, while Dunlap will face off against Gov. Paul LePage, who had already secured the Republican primary, in one of the top battleground House districts in the country.

Now, Pingree will take on Republican Bobby Charles, a former naval intelligence officer and lobbyist who previously helmed the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in President George W. Bush’s administration. He’s leaned on that experience in the federal government to frame himself as tough on crime while attacking “woke policies” coming out of the state.