Democrats won the Maine Senate in Tuesday’s election and appeared to fend off a potent Republican campaign for the House of Representatives that fell just short pending likely recounts in several races.
Republicans won no more than 74 seats in the 151-member House as of Wednesday evening, while Democrats could win as many as 77 and have a buffer due to victories for two independents likely to caucus with them. The Senate was less competitive, but Republicans netted two seats to tighten the Democratic majority to 20-15.
The result is a relief for Gov. Janet Mills going into her final two years in office. She and her party will have eight straight years in control of the State House, although they will have to deal with an even narrower majority in the lower chamber that could empower centrist members.
“You’re all amazing, and your communities and Maine are better off because of your efforts and campaigns over the last year,” Sean Smith, the head of the House Democratic campaign arm, said in a message to candidates declaring their majority.
House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham noted that his party appeared to lose at least four seats by 40 or fewer votes. His goal entering Election Day was 78 seats, and he said they were almost on track to meet that goal but for those tight margins.
“We executed a plan and came very close,” he said.
The House majority came down to military and overseas ballots that also clinched U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s victory in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Rep. Sally Cluchey, D-Bowdoinham, trailed her Republican opponent before those ballots put her ahead, as did Democrat Stephan Bunker of Farmington, who was recruited to run by Mills.
Those are among at least five races that could go to recounts. Among the other influential races were independent Sharon Frost’s win over Rep. Dan Newman, R-Belgrade, and Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, beating former Rep. Sue Austin, R-Gray. The latter contest led all other House races in receiving more than $100,000 in outside spending.
Among the Republican highlights was when Lucien Daigle, a Fort Kent dentist, easily beat the powerful former House speaker John Martin, an Eagle Lake Democrat who was trying to return to a State House he was first elected to 60 years ago. Two other Republican incumbents defeated Democratic veterans running in Aroostook districts.
In the upper chamber, Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, beat Orono Town Councilor Leo Kenney in a tight race to hold the seat covering a sprawling, politically diverse district that saw the most outside spending in that chamber. On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Dick Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro, won an open seat over Rep. Raegan LaRochelle, D-Augusta.
Legislative campaigns and outside partisan groups spent $10.3 million combined this year. The level of outside spending fell short of the record-smashing 2022 sum. While Democrats normally outspend Republicans significantly in legislative races, their edge was less significant this year.
That was largely because of the spirited campaign in the House that led Republican groups to outspend Democrats on a short list of key races. The official Republican campaign arm in the lower chamber was bolstered by more than $359,000 in spending from the Dinner Table PAC, a well-funded group affiliated with conservative Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn.
