According to the New York Times, officials expect around 97% of votes by noon on Wednesday. Full unofficial results are expected by Thursday, but if candidates do not receive a majority in ranked-choice voting races, it could go until the following week.
STATE COVERAGE
Mana Abdi won a seat in the Maine House of Representatives, making her the first Somali-American to serve in the Maine legislature. According to reports from Bangor Daily News, Abdi ran unopposed after Republican candidate Fred Sanborn-Silbers bowed out. She will represent Lewiston for House District 95.
Democratic incumbent Pingree declared victory over Ed Thelander, making this her eighth term in office.
“I know it’s going to be a long night of challenging races across the country, certainly in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, but I’m very excited that I get to know this information this early in the night,” Pingree said to a crowd of supporters in Portland.
Democratic incumbent Mills declares victory over former Gov. Paul Lepage. According to reports from the Portland Press Herald, President Biden called Mills to congratulate her on the win.
Mills was the first female governor elected in Maine and has now secured a second term in office. Lepage, who led the state from 2011 to 2019, has yet to officially concede but told his supporters, “next time.”
On Nov. 16, after waiting on rank-choice voting results, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden officially maintained his seat to represent Maine’s 2nd District in Congress.
NATIONAL COVERAGE: Making history
Maura Healey of Massachusetts was elected the first openly lesbian governor in the U.S.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders defeats Chris Jones in Arkansas governor’s race, making her Arkansas’ first female governor.
Wes Moore of Maryland becomes the state’s first Black governor.
Becca Balint becomes Vermont’s first woman and openly gay representative to be elected to Congress.
Maxwell Frost of Florida becomes the first Gen Z congressman.
POLLING UPDATES
12:32 a.m.
Mike Tipping won the race for Maine State Senate in District 8 with 54% of the vote (7,305).
Nov. 9 at 12:03 a.m.
Democrats and Republicans are currently tied in the Senate race, each having 46 seats. In the House race, Republicans won 184 seats while Democrats have 151.
11:54 p.m.
Mills wins the gubernatorial race with 53.6% of the vote.
11:38 p.m.
Officially, over 50% of votes are in for the governor race and house seats. Mills continues her significant lead with 53.3% (205,116), and LePage maintains 44.8% of the vote (172,469).
Democratic incumbent Golden is holding onto his lead with 48.2% (93,689) of the votes, but Poliquin is not far behind with 44.9% (87,286).
11:19 p.m. Nationally, with 435 House seats up for election, Republicans currently secured 139 of them, while Democrats have won 80 seats so far.
11:05 p.m.
Almost 50% of the votes are in as 305,022 have been recorded in Maine’s gubernatorial race. Mills is holding the lead with 52.4% while LePage trails behind with 45.8%.
“Right now, the election doesn’t look very well,” LePage said at his campaign HQ in Lewiston.
10:53 p.m.
Pingree wins re-election to Maine’s 1st Congressional District
10:36 p.m.
More than one-third of the votes in Maine have been counted.
10:24 p.m.
With 24% of votes in, U.S. Rep. Pingree is projected to win Maine’s 1st Congressional District. Pingree was the first woman elected to Congress from District 1 in 2008. She has since held her position, defeating Republican Jay Allen in 2020.
In the town of Brewer, Mills and Golden win the majority of the vote.
In the rest of the state, Mills holds 52.2% of the vote with LePage at 45.9%.
Golden leads with 46.9%, putting Poliquin at 46.3% and Bond at 6.8%.
10:12 p.m.
Golden pushes forward with 47.4% of the vote while Poliquin holds 45.7%.
Mills continues with a lead of 52.9% and LePage has 45.3% of the vote.
A total of 195,963 votes have been reported at this time.
9:44 p.m.
Mills continues to lead with 53.7% of the vote. LePage trails behind with 44.5% and Hunkler with 1.9%.
Poliquin holds 50.3% of the vote, and Golden falls behind with 42.8%
In District 1, Democratic incumbent Chellie Pingree is leading with 64.7% of the votes. Republican candidate Ed Thelander is trailing with 40%.
9:24 p.m.
With 11% of votes counted, Mills leads with 58.5%, and LePage trails behind with 39.7%. Hunkler has 1.9% of the vote.
Poliquin is at 15,005 votes with Golden falling behind with 12,959 votes.
9 p.m.
LePage leads with 54.8% of the votes, while Mills holds 43.1%. Hunkler trails behind with 2.1%. Less than 25% of all votes have been counted.
8:25 p.m.
1,385 votes have been counted. Poliquin leads with 761 votes. Golden trails behind with 540 votes, and Bond has 84 votes.
8 p.m.
Polls are now officially closed. According to Orono town clerk Shelly Crosby, roughly 3,600 people voted in person at the field house.
Photo by Ilaria Bardini
“It’s always a good day to get out and vote. I feel like I’m
doing something,” said Ryan Shetzline, a third-year electrical engineering student.
5:15 p.m.
At least 1,000 Orono residents have voted at the New Balance Field House and Memorial Gym.
Photo by Ilaria Bardini
“I’ve been up super early and the energy is good in the polling
locations. Everyone is here. I’m feeling hopeful and I see a lot of people coming out to vote,” Jordyn Miller, a third-year UMaine student, said.
3 p.m.
Polls in Orono opened at 7 a.m. to the New Balance Field House and Memorial Gym.
As of 1:40 p.m. 235,164 absentee ballots have been returned in Maine. The Independent Voter Project puts the total number of registered voters in Maine at 1,063,383, putting the percentage of voters who have voted by absentee ballot at 22.12%.
Photo by Ilaria Bardini
Sonja Birthisel, member of the Orono Town Council and director of the Wilson Center, drove her 1949 Greyhound bus bedazzled with chalk and car paint on Nov. 8, 2022, to encourage college students to vote.
