Four candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Maine's 2nd Congressional District on June 9, 2026. Joe Baldacci (D), Matthew Dunlap (D), Paige Loud (D), and Jordan Wood (D). Baldacci, Dunlap, and Wood have led in fundraising, media attention, and polling. Incumbent Jared Golden (D) is retiring from public office.

Maine Public's Kevin Miller wrote, "Maine's 2nd District is a perennial battleground between the two national parties. Golden, a centrist Democrat often willing to buck his own party leadership, has held the seat for seven years despite the district's increasingly conservative lean."

In 2024, Donald Trump (R) won the district over Kamala Harris (D) 53.5% to 44.5%. Golden won re-election that year, defeating Austin Theriault (R) with 50.3% of the vote, or about 2,700 votes. According to an analysis from The University of Virginia's Center for Politics, Golden represents the most Republican-leaning Democratic-held district. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter wrote that Golden's retirement "gives Republicans a much better chance at [winning the 2nd District] ... that has largely voted for Republicans in statewide races over the past decade."

Baldacci was elected to the state Senate in 2020. Baldacci says he is running "because Maine needs a fighter in Washington D.C. — someone who understands what it means when groceries, health care, and housing become unaffordable, and who will actually do something about it." He is campaigning to preserve Social Security and Medicare, and his campaign website says, "We need to protect your benefits while ensuring that generations to come are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor." Baldacci says, "As city councilor and mayor, I have fought Paul LePage and won, and in November, you can count on me to beat him again."

Dunlap was elected state auditor in 2022. He says he is running "because Mainers deserve a fighter who won’t cave to Donald Trump ... When I’m in Congress, I’ll stand up for Maine, and I’ll fight for affordable healthcare, a lower cost of living, and higher wages for hardworking people." Dunlap supports implementing Medicare for All and says he wants to "re-establish [ACA] tax credits, but overall, I think the real answer is Medicare-for-All and just cut to the chase." Dunlap says his campaign could win Democrats who did not approve of Golden's record: "A lot of the Democrats I’ve spoken to ... are very excited by [this campaign]. I think they’ve felt like they haven’t had a lot of choices in these last few elections, and I offer a choice."

Wood was the executive director of the PAC democracyFIRST. Wood originally ran for U.S. Senate, but switched races on November 12, 2025, saying, "With Jared not running, it leaves open one of the most competitive House races ... so I’m stepping up to take that on, because I believe we must." He is campaigning on campaign finance and electoral reforms, saying voter trust in elections "has been shaken by dark money, gerrymandering, and attacks on voting rights. We need big reforms to restore faith in our system." Wood says voters want to see new leaders in Congress, saying, "the focus of this campaign for Congress is going to be ... the need for a new generation of leaders to step up that are going to deliver [on corruption, democracy, and affordability]."

This election uses ranked-choice voting. Maine voters approved the system in 2016, and it has been in use since 2018. Maine is one of three states to use the system statewide.

Paige Loud (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

This is one of 56 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.