Maine Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin has called off the recount he requested in the race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District."The recount process has confirmed and reaffirmed an important fact: I won the largest number of votes on Election Day," Poliquin wrote on Twitter. "Although we continue to evaluate the legal process and the need for an appeal on the constitutionality of ranked voting, due to the impending holidays, I believe it's important to end the recount process."Democratic Rep,-elect Jared Golden won with 142,440 votes, while Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin received 138,931 votes after one round of ranked-choice voting.Poliquin had asked a federal judge to either declare him the winner or order a second election. The judge tossed out the lawsuit Thursday.As of Thursday, the Maine Secretary of State's Office had counted 165,000 out of 296,000 ballots.The recount was supposed to take about another week.Poliquin is responsible for the cost of the recount, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said."After recounting 165,000 of the 296,000 ballots cast in the November 6th election for the 2nd Congressional District race, the challenger has exercised his right to end the recount," Dunlap said in a statement. "The fact that the total votes cast for the two party candidates did not substantially change speaks well for the process that was utilized, and for the hard work by our municipal election officials in implementing ranked-choice voting. In the end, this election was not decided by technology or election laws-it was decided by the voters."Golden will be sworn into office in January.

Maine Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin has called off the recount he requested in the race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

"The recount process has confirmed and reaffirmed an important fact: I won the largest number of votes on Election Day," Poliquin wrote on Twitter. "Although we continue to evaluate the legal process and the need for an appeal on the constitutionality of ranked voting, due to the impending holidays, I believe it's important to end the recount process."


Democratic Rep,-elect Jared Golden won with 142,440 votes, while Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin received 138,931 votes after one round of ranked-choice voting.

WMTW

Poliquin had asked a federal judge to either declare him the winner or order a second election. The judge tossed out the lawsuit Thursday.

As of Thursday, the Maine Secretary of State's Office had counted 165,000 out of 296,000 ballots.

The recount was supposed to take about another week.

Poliquin is responsible for the cost of the recount, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said.

"After recounting 165,000 of the 296,000 ballots cast in the November 6th election for the 2nd Congressional District race, the challenger has exercised his right to end the recount," Dunlap said in a statement. "The fact that the total votes cast for the two party candidates did not substantially change speaks well for the process that was utilized, and for the hard work by our municipal election officials in implementing ranked-choice voting. In the end, this election was not decided by technology or election laws-it was decided by the voters."

Golden will be sworn into office in January.