Maine is one of the dysfunctional states that uses ranked-choice voting, but that may be about to change. The incumbent Congressional Democrat in District Two didn’t win outright. The Secretary of State—the same one that tried to kick Trump off the ballot—says Jared Golden failed to get over 50% of the vote, and Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) has been invoked.
The incumbent is rattled.
If you are not familiar with it, voters get to pick a first, second, or third favorite on the ballot for each race. If no one receives a majority of votes (50 percent plus one), the state adds second-choice votes, and so on, until someone crosses that finish line.
Maine is a Blue State. Yes, it has a US Senator registered as a Republican (Susan Collins), but the Governor, a majority of the legislature, and every other member of Congress are Democrats. Ranked choice voting is a Democrat idea, so you can paint the picture for yourself (non-homeschooled kids trapped in Dem-dominated public schools can use the paint-by-number version if they know their numbers, no guarantees). The 2024 election was a referendum on change away from the so-called party of “change.” Given a second option after the write-in candidate, what are the odds it was the incumbent Democrat?
I’m guessing it’s not great, or his campaign wouldn’t be saying, “Yes, we’d love a recount” no ranked choice voting. To be fair, it was his opponent’s idea (a recount), but now that the seat is on the line, the game has changed. This begs the question: If Democrats pushed Ranked Choice through to ensure Democrats win, how will they feel about it if Republican State Rep. Austin Theriault goes to DC?
Democrats are already in trouble inside the Beltway. Republicans have 53 confirmed seats in the US Senate and could pick up more. The House also looks to be theirs, so adding another seat gives Republicans and that Trump fellow more room to breathe. Nothing could make them less happy except a system they promoted, giving Republicans a chance.
Is ranked-choice voting in Maine in trouble if it helps Austin Theriault replace an incumbent Dem, or will they write it off as a fluke?
