AUGUSTA, Maine — Two Republicans in southern Maine are competing in the 1st Congressional District primary for the chance to face U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree in November.
Andrew Piantidosi and Ron Russell square off June 11, and the winner will face a tall order in beating the eighth-term Democrat in the deep-blue southern Maine district this fall. Since beating a Republican by nearly 10 percentage points in 2008 to take over an open seat, Pingree has coasted to reelection every two years, usually over nominal opposition.
The Republicans hoping to take on Pingree each emphasized they are running to represent constituents of all political stripes. However, they also support former President Donald Trump, who got just 37 percent of votes in the district last year. Both of them listed border security, the former president’s main cause, as their key issues.
Piantidosi, 37, lives in Cape Elizabeth and has a cybersecurity-focused background in sales and business development. Russell, 69, lives in Kennebunkport and served for more than 30 years in the Army as a paratrooper and Green Beret before starting a company with friends focused on operations and intelligence work primarily for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Piantidosi’s priorities include bolstering “critical infrastructure” from health care to energy, border security and “school choice.” He feels that Pingree “seems to marginalize” Republican and unenrolled constituents.
The father of two young daughters said he was inspired to become involved in politics after his youngest was diagnosed with autism. He and his wife had to “fight for resources to make sure she was on a level playing field with her peers.”
“At the end of the day, it really should not be this difficult to raise a family in Maine,” Piantidosi said.
Russell, who grew up on a Fort Fairfield potato farm in northern Maine, mentioned U.S.-Mexico border security issues as well as illegal crossings into Aroostook County along the Canadian border. He is also focused on the economy, inflation and “energy independence.”
“I see a significant amount of common sense in Mainers,” Russell said. “And that’s what I’m going to appeal to.”
Recognizing the tough political headwinds one of them will face in November when facing the progressive Pingree in a liberal district, each candidate signaled a desire for compromise rather than tying themselves to the Republican Party and Trump on all votes.
“I’m not running against Joe Biden. I’m not running against Donald Trump. I’m running for [the 1st District],” Piantidosi said, adding he is not in favor of “anyone who votes party line for everything.”
Russell called “divisiveness” the nation’s biggest problem and said if he wins the primary, he will reach out and listen to Democratic town committees in the district to hear feedback and questions on matters important to them ahead of November.
“The title is representative,” Russell said. “I don’t know how you can represent someone if you don’t know how they feel about the issues.”
Early voting is underway ahead of the June 11 primary. Voters can request an absentee ballot by mail using an online tool from the secretary of state’s office or by contacting their local clerk.
