Two Maine U.S. House primaries are contested this year—tying with 2014 for the most this decade


This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Maine was March 15, 2024.

Six candidates are running for Maine’s two U.S. House districts, including two Democrats and four Republicans. That’s 3.0 candidates per district, higher than the 2.5 candidates that ran in 2022 but the same as the 3.0 candidates who ran in 2020.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

  • Both incumbents—Chellie Pingree (D-1st) and Jared Golden (D-2nd)—are running for re-election. The last time a U.S. House district in Maine was left open was in 2014 when Rep. Mike Michaud (D) ran for governor rather than for re-election in the 2nd District. 
  • Three candidates—one Democrat and two Republicans—are running in the 1st Congressional District and the 2nd Congressional District, respectively.
  • Two primaries–both Republican—are contested this year, tying with 2014 for the most this decade.

Maine and three other states—Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina—are holding primaries on June 11.

In Maine, primary winners are selected via ranked-choice voting.