AUGUSTA, Maine — State Rep. Austin Theriault’s allies from his time as a NASCAR driver are using a super PAC to try to keep the Republican well ahead of his primary opponent in the 2nd Congressional District contest for U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s seat.
Theriault has already raised more than $1 million thanks in part to support from national Republicans and an endorsement from former President Donald Trump ahead of the June 11 primary against fellow freshman state Rep. Mike Soboleski of Phillips.
The extra cash and campaign mailers from ex-sponsors of the 30-year-old Fort Kent native who runs his own driver development business show Theriault’s allies are taking nothing for granted in the last stretch of the primary against Soboleski, a Marine veteran and former small business owner, stuntman and car salesman who has raised a tenth of Theriault’s haul.
The Pole Position PAC, which is based in Alexandria, Virginia, and is barred by law from coordinating with Theriault’s campaign, has raised $66,000 from companies involved in racing.
Two members of the Bahre family, which owns the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, gave $25,000 each. The rest of the money came from two firms that sponsored Theriault as a racer: Everett J. Prescott Inc ., the wastewater and stormwater company based in Gardiner, chipped in $13,000, while Daigle Oil Company, the heating and commercial fuel company based in Theriault’s hometown of Fort Kent, contributed $3,000, per the FEC data.
The logos of those two companies are visible on Theriault’s racing uniform that he is pictured wearing next to a photo of Trump in a mailer sent out last week. The flier calls Theriault an “America First Conservative” who is the “only candidate endorsed by Donald Trump,” and the backside mentions his Aroostook County roots and State House work.
Soboleski, facing a fundraising mismatch and no endorsement from the former president whom he said he has supported for decades, has pointed to his endorsements from dozens of former and current state lawmakers, though Theriault also has the backing of various legislators. Soboleski has also argued he has a stronger conservative voting record than Theriault.
Whoever advances out of the June 11 primary will face a tough test in beating Golden, who voted against President Joe Biden more than any other House Democrat in 2023 and has defeated GOP challengers since first winning election to Congress in 2018. Trump carried the 2nd District in 2016 and 2020 while losing the statewide vote each time.
