Recounts for a dozen close Maine elections are currently underway, including the 2nd Congressional District race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and state Rep. Austin Theriault. Golden initially had more votes, but because of Maine’s ranked choice voting system, a runoff was triggered as Golden did not reach the required 50% threshold. Golden ultimately won the runoff with 50.4% of the vote, but Theriault requested a hand recount of nearly 391,600 ballots.
Additionally, there are 11 state legislative races undergoing recounts, with a significant number being completed and confirming the initial winners, mainly Democrats. Notable recounts include House District 52 and House District 81, where the Election Night results were confirmed. Independent challenger Sharon Frost unseated Republican incumbent Rep. Daniel Newman in House District 58 by 43 votes, while Democrat Stephan Bunker beat Republican Randall Gauvin in House District 75 by seven votes.
The House District 141 race, which ended in a tie on Election Night between incumbent Republican Lucas Lanigan and Democratic challenger Patricia Kidder, is scheduled for Thursday. Lanigan was recently charged with domestic violence assault, but his wife has asked for the charges to be dropped. Prosecutors, however, said the case will proceed as planned.
Remaining recounts are scheduled for House District 142 on Thursday, Senate District 8 on Friday, and Senate District 15 on Monday. The House District 44 recount has been rescheduled for a future date. Overall, these recounts reflect the tight and closely contested nature of many Maine elections.
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