{"id":2616371,"date":"2026-06-19T15:57:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-fear-maine-district-off-the-board-after-dunlap-victory\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T15:58:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:58:49","slug":"democrats-fear-maine-district-off-the-board-after-dunlap-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-fear-maine-district-off-the-board-after-dunlap-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats fear Maine district &#8216;off the board&#8217; after Dunlap victory"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-fear-maine-district-off-the-board-after-dunlap-victory%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2616371&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>state Auditor Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine\u2019s 2nd Congressional District, a victory that could favor Republicans in the November election. He will face Republican Paul LePage,a popular former governor,in the race to succeed retiring Democrat Jared Golden.DunlapS win was notable as he is a progressive advocating for policies like medicare for All, and his candidacy challenged efforts by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Commitee (DCCC) to prevent him from running, fearing he might not win in this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/snowbirds-in-reverse-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Snowbirds in reverse - Washington Examiner\">conservative-leaning district<\/a>. Despite internal disagreements and warnings from party officials, Dunlap secured the nomination, which the NRCC criticized as a failure for Democrats. Polls suggest LePage currently has a significant lead, making the race challenging for Dunlap. The outcome of this race could impact the Democrats\u2019 goal of regaining the House, especially if they lose this seat in Maine.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State Auditor Matt Dunlap won the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\">Democratic<\/a> primary in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a>\u2018s 2nd <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">District<\/a> early Friday morning.\u00a0His victory could put Republicans in the driver\u2019s seat for November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunlap will take on Republican Paul LePage in the race to replace Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), a Blue Dog Democrat who is retiring after four terms in the House.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4616657\/far-left-expanding-in-the-democratic-party-guy-benson\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Far left is \u2018expanding\u2019 in the Democratic Party: Guy Benson<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4615190\/ryan-mackenzie-kevin-dellicker-regime-change-bombing-iran-2024-house\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Swing-district Republican opposed regime change, bombing Iran as 2024 candidate for House<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4615730\/republican-national-committee-record-fundraising\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Republican National Committee boasts all-time high cash total<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Running any Democrat other than Golden, the rare incumbent to hold a Trump-won district in 2024, was going to be a challenge for his party. LePage is a former two-term governor who remains popular in the 2nd District. But the victory by Dunlap, a progressive, represents the worst-case scenario for national Democrats who tried to keep him off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/company-leading-arizona-recount-asks-court-that-procedures-be-kept-secret\/\" title=\"Company Leading Arizona Recount Asks Court That Procedures Be Kept Secret\">general election ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunlap launched an insurgent campaign to challenge Golden in 2025, prompting a backlash from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as Democratic lawmakers and operatives who suggested Dunlap could not win the rural, conservative-leaning seat. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, the DCCC warned Dunlap that only Golden could hold the seat, according to <em>NOTUS<\/em>, and would <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >endanger national investments<\/a> in the race. The committee attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to dissuade the auditor from running.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), a centrist Democrat, also took issue with Dunlap\u2019s launch, writing in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JakeAuch\/status\/1975309167511379998?s=20\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media post<\/a><\/a> that Golden is the \u201conly Democrat in America who has won [three times] in a Trump \u2026 district. Any Democrat who tries to trip him up as he sprints into the general election is helping MAGA.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Golden in October also suggested Dunlap would be unable to defeat LePage, the <em>Bangor Daily News<\/em> reported. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DCCC later recruited and endorsed state Sen. Joe Baldacci, who officials saw as a more viable candidate in difficult terrain. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DCCC\u2019s involvement in this and other races sparked backlash among some members of Congress, and this is the second time this month a DCCC-backed candidate fell in the primary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached out to the DCCC and Dunlap campaign for comment. House Majority PAC, an outside group for national Democrats, suggested Friday that it still plans to maintain its ad reservations in the 2nd District, even with Dunlap as the nominee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPaul LePage has made a career out of defunding health care and cutting Medicaid \u2014 and we look forward to ensuring he loses in November,\u201d HMP spokesman CJ Warnke told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adam Carlson, a veteran Democratic pollster and founder of Zenith Research, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Dunlap\u2019s \u201cpolitics are a better match for the much bluer 1st District than the light red 2nd District\u201d and that Golden was a \u201crepeat electoral overperformer.\u201d Carlson remarked on social media that Dunlap\u2019s nomination \u201cprobably takes ME-02 off the board for Democrats.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunlap charted out an unabashedly progressive lane in the primary, advocating \u201cMedicare for all,\u201d emphasizing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in his campaign ads, and appearing at rallies alongside embattled Senate nominee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Republican Congressional Committee celebrated the development, saying in a statement that \u201cNational Democrats failed miserably in this district not once, but twice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey lost their incumbent, and now they\u2019ve lost their hand-picked replacement and are stuck with a freak who embraces a Nazi-loving abuser,\u201d said NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O\u2019Toole, taking a jab at Platner\u2019s since-covered-up Nazi tattoo.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">May polling from the NRCC showed LePage leading Dunlap by 10 points, a sign of the hill Dunlap will have to climb in the district.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4599153\/can-bernie-sanders-conquer-maine\/\"><strong>CAN BERNIE SANDERS CONQUER MAINE?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats only need to flip three seats to reclaim the House, but if they cede the Maine seat, they\u2019ll need to win an additional seat elsewhere. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust to be clear what this would mean \u2014 Dems lose a Dem seat to take the House Majority \u2014 one more to make up somewhere else,\u201d Neera Tanden, a Democratic operative and former adviser to former President Joe Biden, remarked on social media. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dunlap wins Maine 2nd District primary, GOP favored in November<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4316,"featured_media":2616372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26156840339656-e1781895225925.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3685,3728,9148,32171],"class_list":["post-2616371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democrats","tag-election","tag-maine","tag-political-commentary"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26156840339656-e1781895225925.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2616371"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616375,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616371\/revisions\/2616375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2616372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2616371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2616371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2616371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}