2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine
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The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Maine, one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including governor of Maine and United States Senate. The primary elections were held on June 10, 2014.
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November 4, 2014
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All 2 Maine seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This election marked the first time since 1994 that Maine elected a Republican into the House of Representatives.
Overview
Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Maine by district:[1]
| District | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 186,674 | 60.43% | 94,751 | 30.68% | 27,473 | 8.89% | 308,898 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 2 | 118,568 | 41.83% | 133,320 | 47.03% | 31,585 | 11.14% | 283,473 | 100.0% | Republican gain |
| Total | 305,242 | 51.53% | 228,071 | 38.50% | 59,058 | 9.97% | 592,371 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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 County results Pingree: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1st district includes covers the southern coastal area of the state, including all of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and York counties and most of Kennebec County. Located within the district are the cities of Portland, Augusta, Brunswick and Saco. The incumbent Democrat Chellie Pingree, who had represented the district since 2009, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 65% of the vote in 2012, and the district had a PVI of D+9.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Chellie Pingree, incumbent U.S. representative[2][3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chellie Pingree (incumbent) | 30,950 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 30,950 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Isaac Misiuk, former University of Southern Maine College Republicans president[5]
Declined
- Meredith Strang Burgess, former state representative[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Isaac Misiuk | 17,061 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 17,061 | 100.0 | ||
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Richard Murphy, Maine National Guardsman[7]
General election
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Chellie Pingree | Isaac Misiuk | Richard Murphy | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 6, 2014 | Bangor Daily News WGME-TV WPFO |
Gregg Lagerquist | [8][9][10] | P | P | P |
| 1 | Oct. 9, 2014 | Maine Public Broadcasting Network | Jennifer Rooks | [11] | P | P | P |
Endorsements
Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Chellie Pingree (D) |
Issac Misiuk (R) |
Richard Murphy (I) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine People's Resource Center[17] | October 31–November 2, 2014 | 419 | ± 4.79% | 56% | 30% | 7% | — | 7% |
| Pan Atlantic/SMS Group[18] | October 15–21, 2014 | 206 | ± 6.8% | 62% | 18% | 6% | — | 14% |
| University of New Hampshire[19] | October 15–21, 2014 | 297 | ± 5.5% | 57% | 19% | 10% | — | 13% |
| Critical Insights[20] | September 24–30, 2014 | 311 | ± 4% | 53% | 19% | 10% | — | 17% |
| Pan Atlantic SMS[21] | September 23–29, 2014 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 51% | 9% | 10% | — | 30% |
| University of New Hampshire[22] | September 18–25, 2014 | 220 | ± 6.2% | 66% | 13% | 0% | 4% | 17% |
| University of New Hampshire[23] | June 12–18, 2014 | 305 | ± 6.5% | 56% | 22% | — | 2% | 20% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Safe D | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg[25] | Safe D | October 24, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[26] | Safe D | October 30, 2014 |
| RCP | Safe D | November 2, 2014 |
| Daily Kos Elections[27] | Safe D | November 4, 2014 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chellie Pingree (incumbent) | 186,674 | 60.4 | |
| Republican | Isaac J. Misiuk | 94,751 | 30.7 | |
| Independent | Richard P. Murphy | 27,410 | 8.9 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 63 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 308,898 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 2
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 County results Poliquin: 40–50% 50%–60% Cain: 40–50% 50%–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2nd district covers 27,326 square miles (70,770 km2), comprising nearly 80% of the state's total land area. It is the largest district east of the Mississippi River and the 24th-largest overall. It is the second-most rural district in the United States, with 72.11% of its population in rural areas, behind only Kentucky's 5th congressional district. It includes most of the land area north of the Portland and Augusta metropolitan areas, including the cities of Bangor, Lewiston, Auburn and Presque Isle. The incumbent Democrat Mike Michaud, who had represented the district since 2003, did not seek re-election, and was selected as the Democratic nominee for governor of Maine in the 2014 election. He was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2012, and the district had a PVI of D+2.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Troy Jackson, majority leader of the Maine Senate[30][2]
Withdrew
Declined
- Joe Baldacci, Bangor city councilor[32][33]
- John Baldacci, former governor and former U.S. representative[34]
- Matthew Dunlap, Secretary of State of Maine[35]
- James Howaniec, attorney, former mayor of Lewiston and candidate for this seat in 1994[36]
- Jeff McCabe, assistant majority leader of the Maine House of Representatives[35]
- Mike Michaud, incumbent U.S. representative (running for governor)[37]
Endorsements
State legislators
- Jeffrey Evangelos, state representative[38]
Labor unions
- Local 6 (at Bath Iron Works)[39]
- Maine AFL–CIO[40]
- Maine AFSCME Local 2011[40]
- Maine Teamsters[41]
- United Auto Workers Region 9A[40]
Individuals
- Thomas Steinbeck, son of author John Steinbeck[14]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Emily Cain |
Troy Dale Jackson |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[42] | June 2–3, 2014 | 810 | ±3.4% | 60% | 25% | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Joe Baldacci |
Emily Cain |
Matthew Dunlap |
Troy Dale Jackson |
Jeff McCabe |
Janet Mills |
Alden Smith |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[43] | August 23–25, 2013 | 561 | ± 4.1% | 31% | 22% | — | 15% | — | — | 2% | 30% |
| Public Policy Polling[44] | June 26–27, 2013 | 633 | ± 3.9% | 19% | 18% | 8% | 9% | 3% | 15% | — | 28% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emily Cain | 19,906 | 71.0 | |
| Democratic | Troy Dale Jackson | 8,116 | 29.0 | |
| Total votes | 28,022 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bruce Poliquin, former state treasurer of Maine and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012[45][2]
Eliminated in primary
- Kevin Raye, former president of the Maine Senate and nominee for the seat in 2002 and 2012[46][2]
Withdrew
- Blaine Richardson, United States Navy veteran, and candidate for this seat in 2012 (unenrolled as a Republican, running as an independent)[47][48]
- Richard Rosen, director of the Maine Office of Policy and Management and former state senator[49]
- Alexander Willette, assistant minority leader of the Maine House of Representatives[50]
Declined
- Kenneth Fredette, minority leader of the Maine House of Representatives[29]
- Jonathan LaBonte, mayor of Auburn[35]
- Paul LePage, governor of Maine (running for re-election)[51]
- Garrett Mason, state senator[35]
- Debra Plowman, former state senator[32]
- Joshua Tardy, former minority leader of the Maine House of Representatives[45]
- Michael Thibodeau, minority leader of the Maine Senate[52]
Endorsements
U.S. senators
- Susan Collins, U.S. senator (R-ME) (for general election)[53]
U.S. representatives
- John Boehner, speaker of the United States House of Representatives (R-OH) (for general election) [54]
Organizations
- National Federation of Independent Business[55]
- National Rifle Association - Political Victory Fund (for general election)[56][57]
Republican Liberty Caucus[58] (rescinded on February 5, 2015, after the election)[59]
State legislators
- Bernard Ayotte, state representative[60]
- David Burns, state senator[60]
- Dean Cray, state representative[60]
- Jarrod Crockett, state representative[60]
- Phil Curtis, former majority leader of the Maine House of Representatives[60]
- Jim Donnelly, former Maine House Minority Leader[60]
- Joyce Fitzpatrick, state representative[60]
- Anita Haskell, state representative[60]
- Brian Langley, state senator[60]
- Joyce Maker, state representative[60]
- Garrett Mason, state senator[60]
- Carol McElwee, state representative[60]
- Robert Nutting, state representative, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
- Debra Plowman, former assistant majority leader of the Maine Senate[60]
- Tom Saviello, state senator[60]
- Roger Sherman, state senator[60]
- Josh Tardy, former Maine House minority leader[60]
- Edward Youngblood, state senator[60]
Organizations
- Business Industry Political Action Committee[61]
- National Rifle Association - Political Victory Fund (for primary) [62][63]
Newspapers
State officials
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bruce Poliquin |
Kevin Raye |
Blaine Richardson |
Richard Rosen |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies (R-Raye)[65] | November 4–5, 2013 | 310 | ± 5.57% | 18% | 42% | 3% | 5% | 32% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Poliquin | 19,736 | 56.8 | |
| Republican | Kevin Raye | 14,987 | 43.2 | |
| Total votes | 34,723 | 100.0 | ||
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Blaine Richardson, United States Navy veteran, and Republican candidate for the seat in 2012 (unenrolled as a Republican, running as an independent)[48]
General election
Campaign
Bruce Poliquin resisted invitations to debates where Blaine Richardson would be present, including one sponsored by MPBN. Political observers stated this might have been due to Richardson's potential to split the conservative vote. Emily Cain expressed support for Richardson being present at debates and said she would only attend debates where both of the other candidates were present.[66] A debate to be held on WMTW-TV was cancelled after Cain pulled out to protest Richardson not being invited. WMTW said they and their parent company, Hearst Television, had strict criteria for invitations to debates that Richardson did not meet. These criteria included holding large campaign events, fundraising, and performance in polling, all of which WMTW said were not met.[67]
On August 29, Richardson revealed, and Poliquin's campaign confirmed, that Richardson had rejected a request from Poliquin to quit the race. A Poliquin spokesman stated the phone call was made because Richardson had "no chance" to win and seemed "more interested in working with Emily Cain to bash Bruce rather than have a discussion about the future". Richardson said he would stay in the race and he was "so fed up with the parties, both of them". He also said that Poliquin asking him to quit had been one of the biggest boosts for his campaign.[68]
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 16, 2014
Endorsements
U.S. senators
- Angus King, U.S. senator (I-ME)[69]
State legislators
- Patrick Flood, Republican state senator, ranking Appropriations Committee member[70]
- Sherry Huber, former state legislator, former candidate for governor[70]
Labor unions
- AFL–CIO[71]
- American Federation of Teachers[14]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 104[72]
Organizations
- EMILY's List[73]
- EqualityMaine[74]
- Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund[75]
- Sierra Club Maine[76]
Newspapers
- Bangor Daily News (for primary and general)[77][78]
Individuals
- Maj. Gen. (retired) John Libby, former head of the Maine National Guard and former commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management[70]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Emily Cain (D) |
Bruce Poliquin (R) |
Blaine Richardson (I) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine People's Resource Center[17] | October 31–November 2, 2014 | 397 | ± 4.92% | 42% | 43% | 10% | — | 5% |
| Pan Atlantic/SMS Group[18] | October 15–21, 2014 | 186 | ± 7% | 39% | 38% | 8% | — | 16% |
| University of New Hampshire[19] | October 15–21, 2014 | 291 | ± 5.5% | 40% | 41% | 8% | — | 9% |
| Normington Petts (D-Cain)[79] | October 15–16, 2014 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 42% | 34% | 8% | — | 16% |
| Critical Insights[20] | September 24–30, 2014 | 295 | ± 4% | 36% | 41% | 6% | — | 16% |
| Pan Atlantic SMS[21] | September 23–29, 2014 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 36% | 33% | 6% | — | 25% |
| University of New Hampshire[22] | September 18–25, 2014 | 220 | ± 6.2% | 30% | 40% | 3% | — | 27% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R-Poliquin)[80] | August 17–19, 2014 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 37% | 33% | 6% | — | 24% |
| University of New Hampshire[23] | June 12–18, 2014 | 222 | ± 6.5% | 44% | 39% | — | 0% | 17% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R-Raye)[65] | November 4–5, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 37% | 34% | — | — | 29% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Emily Cain (D) |
Kevin Raye (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies^[81] | November 4–5, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 31% | 45% | 24% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Troy Dale Jackson (D) |
Bruce Poliquin (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies^[81] | November 4–5, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 38% | 33% | 29% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Troy Dale Jackson (D) |
Kevin Raye (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Opinion Strategies^[81] | November 4–5, 2013 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 30% | 45% | 25% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Lean D | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg[25] | Lean D | October 24, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[26] | Lean D | October 30, 2014 |
| RCP | Tossup | November 2, 2014 |
| Daily Kos Elections[27] | Lean D | November 4, 2014 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Poliquin | 133,308 | 47.0 | |
| Democratic | Emily Cain | 118,556 | 41.8 | |
| Independent | Blaine Richardson | 31,336 | 11.1 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 248 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 283,448 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||