Maine primaries finish, Pingree, Charles win nominations

Maine's Democratic and Republican primaries for governor and a key congressional seat were decided early Friday after a lengthy process of ranked-choice tabulations, setting the stage for competitive general elections in November. State Auditor Matt Dunlap won the Democratic nomination for Maine's 2nd Congressional District, while former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. On the Republican side, former federal official Bobby Charles won the party's nomination for governor and will face Pingree, while former Governor Paul LePage, who was unopposed in the primary, will be Dunlap's opponent for the House seat.

The outcomes were finalized nearly ten days after voters cast their ballots on June 9, as neither primary produced an initial majority winner, triggering Maine's ranked-choice voting system. In the Democratic primary for the 2nd District, state Senator Joe Baldacci led after the first round with 31.6 percent of the vote, followed closely by Dunlap with 29.2 percent and former congressional aide Jordan Wood with 28.9 percent. Social worker Paige Loud was eliminated after the first round. After subsequent rounds of tabulation,...