How Matt Dunlap Can Win Maine’s 2nd Congressional District

Experience, character, and fit position him to beat Paul LePage in 2026

When Rep. Jared Golden announced he wouldn’t run for reelection in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, the news left Matt Dunlap as the lone Democrat in the race.

That drew national attention to this geographically expansive, largely rural white working-class district. Democrats have often struggled in these in recent years.

Matt Dunlap can win. He fits the district. His temperament and experience line up with ME-2’s independent-minded voters who like to keep both parties honest.

A Firm But Measured Pushback That Says It All

Before getting to Dunlap’s background and the district, take a listen to his rapid response to news stories saying that Washington Democrats were looking for someone else to run.

First Dunlap declares:

Big money D.C. insiders and party bosses think they can handpick a candidate up here in Maine, like we’re supposed to go along like lapdogs.

They obviously don’t know us very well…We’re independent, strong-minded and choose our own leaders…

And then Dunlap goes to emphasize he’s “running on what matters: affordable health care, good paying jobs, strong schools and being accessible to the people who live here.”

It’s a perfect combination of push back against elites, demonstrating independence from his party, and promoting policies and an approach to politics voters appreciate.

Dunlaps delivers all of it calmly in just over 30 seconds.

He comes off as determined, mild-mannered but no pushover. With an emphasis on local folks, it’s the opposite of performative politics: a steady hand in a noisy era.

This video should demolish any contentions that Matt Dunlap lacks political chops.

Or that he isn’t isn’t ready to go up against Paul LePage, the often blustery MAGA guy who, after being shellacked by Janet Mills in 2022, came back from Florida a second time to ask Mainers for their votes.

What else should we know about Matt Dunlap’s strengths?

Dunlap fits the culture and politics of the district.

If you read some articles about Maine’s second congressional district, all you know about it is that Trump won it three times.

But that leaves out the district’s tendency to go for centrists in House elections.

Over more than the last half century, voters voted for moderate Republicans Bill Cohen and Olympia Snowe, then moderate Democrats John Baldacci and Mike Michaud, then somewhat moderate Republican Bruce Poliquin, then moderate Democrat Jared Golden.

Dunlap stands squarely in that centrist tradition.

The district’s voters like to be able to talk to candidates and elected officials.

Golden in 2018 chastised Poliquin for avoiding questions from constituents and the press. Dunlap’s not only run on being accessible but he’s shown that tendency though his political career.

Dunlap sincerely believes in that. As Dunlap told an interviewer:

Being available and having these conversations is where you really learn what the job is. Not only what the job is about, but you also get to be a part of people’s journeys, and get to help them write a different chapter. And so that’s the beauty of representational democracy.

And that fits the district’s political culture.

The district has voted for Dunlap’s positions.

When Golden beat Poliquin in 2018, he opposed Trump’s anti-immigrant stances and backed Medicare for All. That’s where Dunlap is now.

And, remember, Golden lost support as he increasingly accommodated himself to Trump.

In delivering the news that he wasn’t going to run again, Golden described the views of most voters in the district.

The overwhelming majority recognizes that no one has a monopoly on virtue or on good ideas. We support commonsense policies from taxing the wealthy to reducing the deficit. We support the First and Second Amendments alike. We’re skeptical of the wealthy and the powerful, but we don’t demonize success. We know there’s value in hard work, and that it should be rewarded fairly.

That’s also where Dunlap is now.

Dunlap’s done a lot.

No doubt Republicans will try to paint Matt Dunlap as wild-eyed radical. That’s what they do.

Not only does that not fit Dunlap’s center-left, thoughtful tendencies or his persona, but his background doesn’t either.

Dunlap’s wide-ranging experiences

Matt Dunlap is a hunter and fisherman who led the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine, co-founded the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association, and wrote a column for The Northwoods Sporting Journal. He’s active in his church and community organizations.

As a state legislator, Dunlap’s committee work focused on wildlife and election issues and he got more support from voters every time he ran.

As Maine Secretary of State, Dunlap was appointed by Trump to a committee tasked to look at voting fraud. Some on the left criticized him for that, saying it legitimized Trump’s claims. But Dunlap stood up to Trump, sued him for a lack of transparency and won in court.

Dunlap has always been a stalwart champion of voting rights.

And now he’s the State Auditor.

Political character and coalition-building add credibility

In deciding to run for the seat held by Jared Golden, Dunlap showed political courage and integrity.

If anyone claims Dunlap wouldn’t be willing to break with party leaders, he can always point to doing that when he declared his candidacy.

Dunalp has also shown himself to be a coalition-builder who has strong views but is willing to listen and learn.

Just look at these dual endorsements from political figures who had endorsed Jared Golden.

One is by Tom Saviello, a former Republican, who says “Matt will work with anyone to get things done with Maine.” The other is by a Democrat who talks about Dunlap’s commitment to living wages, universal health and affordable childcare. (Both tell DC folks to stay out of the race.)

Former congressman Mike Michaud, a centrist Democrat, endorsed Dunlap while Golden was still in the race and reiterated it after Golden said he wouldn’t run.

Dunlap’s ability to keep listening and growing was seen in his service on the Maine-Wabanaki Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Members of the The Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission discussed their experiences at a ceremony held in Hermon. They included (from left) gkisedtanamoogk, Matt Dunlap and Sandy White Hawk. Photo by Tom Keynolds of Maine- Wabanaki REACH, published by the Ellsworth American in June 2015.

As Native News Online reported, the group “started their journey with a sacred fire. Then they spent a year preparing to go into tribal communities and researching other truth and reconciliation commissions.” After time spent designing how people in tribal communities could best share their stories, “the Commission went to the tribes, and listened.”

This was a deep, thoughtful process. As Dunlap recounted, “we spent a lot of time trying to understand what those two words meant: truth and reconciliation.”

One more thing: Matt Dunlap is just a really good person. (In Yiddish, he’d be called a mensch.)

My character assessment is based on a lot of concrete evidence. I’ve read some in interviews but, since Dunlap declared he was running for the House, I’ve seen a number that people posted spontaneously on social media and in comments sections.

According to one such post, this year a woman informed Dunlap about her father’s experience “in an abusive nursing home.” Dunlap “responded immediately,” offered resources and continued to check in. As she wrote, “This is leadership and kindness. Someone who reacts and takes action to help is exactly what I want in office.”

It’s truly remarkable to come across so many stories about a politician who went out of their way to help people one-on-one.

When just recently a state legislator, Dunlap not only got a constituent the drivers’ license he needed to drive his sick wife to the doctor, but did it the day the request was received and personally drove it to the man’s house.

As Secretary of State, he arranged a special driving test for a dying teenager and had a license plate made just for her. “A few months after the young woman died at age 17, her mother sent Dunlap a note” about how happy that made her daughter.

In talking about political trust five years ago, Dunlap said:

All the time I hear from people — they’ll reach out and they’ll say “I’m sorry to bother you.” You know, it’s in my job description to be bothered. That’s why I’m here.

Matt Dunlap’s character and commitment to helping others gives him an unusual sort of credibility as a candidate and suggests he’s been a congressman who would pay a lot of attention to constituents’ needs.

Dunlap can do it.

Matt Dunlap has many strengths as a candidate.

Dunlap is a pragmatic coalition builder with experience, warmth and decency. He authentically cares about jobs and health care and being accessible. He’s a hunter and fisherman who fits the district’s culture. And Dunlap isn’t afraid to challenge party insiders.

In a place where people really like to vote, LePage promoted vote fraud conspiracies and election suppression, while Dunlap is a democracy defender. LePage’s trajectory in the district isn’t good, particularly for an expected blue wave election.

There’s more to say about Paul LePage and the 2026 political context. So I’m saving it for a future post. Stay tuned!