The midterm elections on November 8 will decide the next governor of Maine, as well as who will assume the first congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, the 23rd state senatorial district seat and 100th state house district seat, with many other races being uncontended. 

Absentee ballots must be delivered to the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day to count. While Maine’s early voter registration ended on November 3, same-day registration is available at the polls and only requires the registree bring one valid form of identification, which can be a Bowdoin ID.

Maine uses ranked-choice voting for federal elections, so the first congressional district race will be decided using this system. In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates, and if a single candidate does not reach a majority in the first round, the candidate with the least amount of votes is disqualified and their votes are reallocated to those voters’ second choice. 

State Gubernatorial Election

The gubernatorial race is between three candidates: Democratic candidate and incumbent Janet Mills, Republican candidate and former Maine governor Paul LePage and Independent candidate Dr. Sam Hunkler. Mills and LePage have met at multiple debates to discuss their platforms, and Mills came to Brunswick last week. Mills’ current campaign platform is similar to her previous one, focusing on environmental protection, reproductive rights, economic rebuilding and educational expansion. LePage is focused on combating inflation, cutting taxes, supporting charter schools and defending personal freedoms. Hunkler is running on a less issue-based platform, instead focusing on acting as a mediator for state-wide issues.

U.S. Congressional Elections

U.S. House of Representatives

Two candidates are running for Maine’s first congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democratic candidate and incumbent Chellie Pingree is facing off against Republican candidate Ed Thelander. Pingree has served in the House of Representatives for 13 years and prioritizes veterans affairs, agriculture and economic development. She supports the right to reproductive freedom and is a strong advocate for the fight against climate change. Thelander, a former Navy SEAL, supports school choice and election integrity and believes that legislative decisions on reproductive rights should be made at the state level.

State Congressional Elections

Maine State Senate

Maine’s 24th State Senate District is currently represented by Matthea “Mattie” Daughtry, who is running for reelection in this district against Republican Brogan Teel. Daughtry, the owner of Moderation Brewing Company, spearheaded a bill to provide student debt relief for college students who remain in Maine to work, and she is also focused on reproductive rights and combating climate change. Teel, an eighth generation Mainer, is running on a platform supporting small business owners, protecting the lobstering industry and promoting law enforcement.

Maine State House

Democratic candidate and former Brunswick Town Councilperson Dan Ankeles is running unopposed for District 100 in the state house, which covers all college housing except those west of the corner of McKeen and Maine Street. He is running to reform tax structure, minimize PFAS in Brunswick Landing, support mental health and addiction care and fund protections against climate change.

All other elections are based on campus housing and are unopposed. Assistant Professor of Government Ángel Saavedra Cisneros’s class “Campaigns and Elections” created a Maine election guide website which includes more information about the specific ballot and potential voting plans.