Golden’s election adds to the Democrats’ blue wave in the midterm elections. It means there are no US House members in New England who are Republicans.

Election officials declared the state lawmaker the winner after a federal judge denied Poliquin’s request to halt tabulations in the state’s ranked-choice voting system used in last week’s election.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Democrat Jared Golden, who lagged Republican US Representative Bruce Poliquin in the first round of balloting in Maine’s new voting system, came from behind to flip the House seat representing one of two congressional districts in the state, election officials said Thursday.


Poliquin received the most first-place votes on Election Day, but additional tallies were required in the four-way race because no one won a majority. After an additional round of voting, Poliquin ended up losing by fewer than 3,000 votes, officials said.

The ranked-choice voting system lets voters rank candidates from first to last on the ballot. It provides for eliminations of last-place candidates and reallocations of votes to ensure a majority winner.

Maine’s election marked the first use of the system in US House and Senate races. A lawsuit by Poliquin contends the system is unconstitutional.

The legal challenge by Poliquin and three GOP activists served as the backdrop in the most expensive congressional race in state history, which pitted Golden, a Marine Corps veteran, against Poliquin, the two-term incumbent.

The first round of voting on Election Day ended with Poliquin and Golden both collecting 46 percent of first-place votes, with Poliquin maintaining a slim edge of about 2,000 votes.

That would’ve meant a Poliquin victory under Maine’s old voting system. But neither candidate secured a majority, triggering additional voting rounds.

The new system adopted by Maine voters in 2016 lets people rank candidates from first to last on the ballot. It provides for additional tabulations in which last-place candidates are eliminated and votes reallocated to ensure the winner gets a majority of the vote.


US District Judge Lance Walker on Wednesday heard arguments from attorneys for Poliquin and three GOP activists who contended the system violates the US Constitution.

A day later, Walker declined to intervene to stop the process. But Poliquin’s lawsuit remains alive because he didn’t rule on the constitutionality of the system.

In his decision, the judge said it doesn’t appear the Constitution prohibits an election process with more than one round of ballot counting. He also said it’s plausible the Constitution allows states ‘‘sufficient leeway to experiment with the election process.’’

‘‘Moreover, for this court to change the rules of the election, after the votes have been cast, could well offend due process,’’ he wrote.

Democrats saw an opportunity even though no incumbent had lost re-election in the sprawling 2nd Congressional District in a hundred years.

Golden accused Poliquin of trying to take Mainers’ access to affordable health care away, and pledged to create jobs and protect gun rights. Poliquin, meanwhile, dismissed his challenger as ‘‘a young radical with a socialist agenda’’ and touted his efforts to cut taxes and press for fair trade deals, saying they’ve contributed to economic growth.

Two independents, Tiffany Bond and Will Hoar, were also in the race. Together, they collected about 8 percent of the vote total.

For now, the ranked-choice voting system is used only in federal races and in statewide primary elections in Maine. It cannot be used in the governor’s race or legislative races because of concerns it runs afoul of the state constitution.


Democratic Gov.-elect Janet Mills has vowed to seek to amend the Maine’s constitution so the system can be used in all elections.