The two Republican candidates seeking to take on U.S. Rep. Jared Golden this fall in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District took to the stage Tuesday evening for their first televised debate.
While the Maine Republican Party Convention also featured a debate last weekend, Tuesday’s forum moderated by WGME’s Gregg Lagerquist at the Portland television station’s studio gave freshmen state representatives Austin Theriault of Fort Kent and Mike Soboleski of Phillips a primetime opportunity to try to differentiate themselves ahead of the June 11 primary.
It also offered a chance for voters to note more subtle differences in tone and language. Theriault, 30, a former NASCAR driver who owns a driver development business, entered the race last year with backing from national Republicans and has since picked up an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who carried the 2nd District in 2016 and 2020.
Soboleski, 67, a Marine veteran like Golden with a wide-ranging background including time as a small business owner, car salesman and actor, has pointed instead to his support from county caucus straw polls and a perfect Conservative Political Action Conference voting record.
Theriault has the clear money advantage by so far raising more than $1 million, while Soboleski has taken in more than $100,000, per campaign finance data. Theriault led Soboleski in a February poll that also showed Trump up on Biden by six percentage points in Maine.
Political observers both in and outside of Maine are keeping an eye on the CD2 race, which the Cook Political Report rates as a “toss up.” Several resignations have shrunk the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to a narrow 217-212 edge over Democrats.
Golden, 41, has not been shy to buck his party on certain issues, particularly economic ones, since winning office in 2018 and has opposed Biden more than any other House Democrat last year while taking more liberal stances on matters such as campaign finance reform.
Here are a few takeaways from Tuesday’s debate.
Trump and the border
It’s no surprise the names Trump and Biden came up numerous times Tuesday night, given it is a presidential election year.
Lagerquist brought up Trump right away to start the debate while noting Golden has won the district three times. The moderator also asked about Trump endorsing Theriault despite Soboleski arguing he has been “a fan for 40 years” and a stronger conservative.
Echoing thoughts he shared in a past radio interview, Soboleski said not receiving Trump’s endorsement was “more disappointing to me personally” than politically and pointed out he was the only lawmaker to formally intervene in support of Trump during his ballot eligibility case before Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
“It was disappointing,” Soboleski said. “But it is what it is, and we’ll move forward.”
Theriault replied that Trump was looking for “somebody who can go head to head with Jared Golden” and who “can set the record straight on the failures of the Biden administration.”
“This race is about winning,” Theriault said. “It’s not about feelings.”
Theriault also brought up Trump, Biden and border security numerous times when Lagerquist asked about each candidate’s “day one priority” or the vast number of illicit marijuana growing operations in Maine that have been linked to China. He argued Golden has been a “flip flopper” and “nowhere to be found” on border security issues or the fentanyl crisis.
Still, Golden was one of only five Democrats to support a Republican-backed border security measure that failed to pass with a broader set of foreign aid measures earlier in April, and he co-led a bipartisan aid effort in February that would have restored Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.
As for his first priority, Soboleski repeated what he said during last weekend’s GOP convention debate — he will work with U.S. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, to bring Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the country’s COVID-19 response, to “justice for crimes committed against humanity.”
Debating their differences
Soboleski and Theriault agree on plenty of issues. They each said they would have voted against giving more aid to Ukraine and Gaza while each supports Israel.
They each oppose pro-Palestinian protests at a growing number of college campuses. They each support banning TikTok if China’s ByteDance does not sell it.
And they each oppose gun control measures that passed the Legislature this year and criticized Golden for supporting a ban on assault-style weapons after the Oct. 25 mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston, among other similar stances.
But the two argued over their sometimes subtle differences Tuesday.
Soboleski said he would nullify Golden’s advantage with veterans in the 2nd District, alluding to Golden’s comments in March about how he would rather face a “neoliberal like Austin Theriault than another Marine like Mike Soboleski.”
Soboleski continued his attacks on Theriault for voting in favor of safe injection sites and partially decriminalizing prostitution.
But Theriault was prepared as the candidate considered the favorite, chastising Soboleski for focusing on “obscure issues” while reiterating he has family members who have struggled with addiction.
Though both said they would not support ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, Soboleski said he would not vote to reelect him as the leader if Republicans hold the chamber. Soboleski argued he has a “grassroots campaign” and that Johnson, who endorsed Theriault, asked Trump to endorse Theriault, rather than Trump making the decision based on his own knowledge of the Maine race.
“It’s an establishment campaign,” Soboleski said of Theriault, adding that “D.C. took a look at me, and they do not want me down there” and that “I can’t be bought.”
But Theriault said his campaign has the support of fishermen, small business owners, loggers and state lawmakers while adding Trump looks at who is best positioned to beat Golden.
“If we want to be serious about winning in November,” Theriault said, “we’ve got to put together an organization that’s well-funded and can get our message across and push back against the well-funded Democratic organizations that have time in and time out been successful in winning elections.”
Notice the tone
If nothing else, televised debates offer voters a chance to notice the posture, tone and speaking style of each candidate. Theriault and Soboleski are noticeably different.
Theriault looked directly at the camera Tuesday while Soboleski looked at Lagerquist and more quickly rattled off things. Theriault spoke confidently and clearly when noting his background and loved ones who have struggled with addiction or mental health issues, while Soboleski spoke more off the cuff.
For example, Soboleski brought up a dubious claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife went on a $1 million shopping spree in the U.S. and said “the George Floyd” or “the Summer of Love” could be behind the campus protests against Israel’s war with Hamas.
And he had this to say about how often he has seen Golden in the 2nd District.
“I’ve seen him once, and it was sitting outside a bar down in Wilton having a beer,” Soboleski said. “That was it. I haven’t seen him anywhere else.”
