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Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (June 9 Republican primary)

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← 2024
Maine's 2nd Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2026
Primary: June 9, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Maine

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Likely Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Maine's 2nd Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd
Maine elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Republican Party primary takes place on June 9, 2026, in Maine's 2nd Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 16, 2026
June 9, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maine utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which both registered party members and unaffiliated voters may participate. Unaffiliated voters may vote in one partisan primary of their choosing in each election. Affiliated voters must change enrollment at least 15 days prior to the primary to vote in a different party's primary.[1][2][3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This is one of 51 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 30 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Maine's 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Maine District 2

James Clark (R) and Paul LePage (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maine District 2 on June 9, 2026.

Candidate
Image of James Clark
James Clark  Candidate Connection
Image of Paul LePage
Paul LePage

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

James Clark

Image of James Clark

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I'm a Christian, husband, father, veteran, humanitarian, and business leader who believes Maine and America deserve better than what Washington has become. I grew up in poverty and those early hardships shaped my belief that people matter more than politics. I served overseas, worked internationally, and earned post-graduate degrees focused on issues that matter, such as U.S. Homeland Security. I’ve responded to some of the hardest places on earth after major disasters, not because anyone ordered me to, but because people were hurting and someone had to show up. That experience earned me national recognition, but I’m just someone who strongly believes service should be action, not a slogan. I’ve run businesses, hired employees, helped others do the same. I’m also a VA-rated disabled veteran who knows firsthand how broken systems fail the people they’re supposed to serve. I’m a former Democrat running as a conservative Republican because I can't support extreme views (in any party), believe strongly in public safety, personal liberty, fiscal responsibility, and taking care of our seniors, veterans, and working families. What unites us matters more than what divides us. Above all, I’m running because Maine needs representatives who will listen, tell the truth, and fight for ordinary people—not for party bosses or Washington insiders. Learn more at voteforclark.com."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I’m not a career politician—I’m a veteran, a small-business owner, and someone who has spent years showing up where people are hurting as a volunteer on humanitarian missions around the world. Mainers deserve a representative who is transparent, accessible, and accountable every single day, not someone who hides behind staff or party talking points. I'll hold regular town halls, keep my schedule public, hire local staff instead of D.C. loyalists, and make myself available to the people I serve. I will always remember who I work for: the people of Maine and our fellow Americans, not lobbyists or political insiders.

Congress is broken because too many politicians stay for decades, live in Washington instead of their constituency, enrich themselves, and forget the people who sent them there. I support term limits, strict ethics rules, and I will not trade stocks while in office. I will serve no more than three terms, refuse any bill I haven’t personally read entirely, push for single issue bills, and work to end insider trading, closed-door dealmaking, and conflicts of interest. Maine families play by the rules every day; it’s time Congress did the same. I’m running to restore integrity, enforce accountability, and rebuild public trust in government. We all deserve better.

The challenges Mainers and our fellow Americans face aren’t partisan—they’re real life. Families are being squeezed by rising costs, housing shortages, workforce gaps, healthcare delays, and aging infrastructure. I'll work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, who is willing to actually get off their ass and deliver real solutions for our communities. I believe in putting people, the American people, before parties and focusing on common-sense policies that strengthen families, protect freedoms, grow opportunities, and support allies without endangering our sons and daughters. Maine needs leadership rooted in service, not ideology. I’m here to fight for the people of Maine, not for Washington or big companies.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Maine

Election information in Maine: June 9, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: June 9, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 19, 2026
  • Online: May 19, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: June 4, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 4, 2026
  • Online: June 4, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 9, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 9, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 10, 2026 to June 4, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

Varies - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
James Clark Republican Party $50 $0 $50 As of December 31, 2025
Paul LePage Republican Party $1,224,151 $373,128 $851,023 As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_me_congressional_district_02.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+4. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 4 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Maine's 2nd the 195th most Republican district nationally.[4]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Maine's 2nd Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
44.0%54.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Maine, 2024

Maine presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 12 Democratic wins
  • 20 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Maine state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Maine's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Maine
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 2 2
Republican 1 0 1
Independent 1 0 1
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 2 4

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Maine's top three state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Maine, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Janet T. Mills
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Shenna Bellows
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Aaron Frey

State legislature

Maine State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 20
     Republican Party 14
     Other 1
     Vacancies 0
Total 35

Maine House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 74
     Republican Party 72
     Independent 3
     Unenrolled 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 151[5]

Trifecta control

Maine Party Control: 1992-2025
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R I I I I I I I I D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D D D R R D D D D S S D D D D D D D D R R D D R R R R D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maine in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Maine U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1000 N/A 3/16/2026 Source
Maine U.S. House Unaffiliated 2000 N/A 6/1/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 341," accessed October 2, 2025
  2. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 142," accessed October 2, 2025
  3. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 144," accessed October 2, 2025
  4. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  5. ↑ Excludes three nonvoting members representing the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.


Maine's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Susan Collins (R)
Angus King (I)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Democratic Party (2)
Republican Party (1)
Independent (1)


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