Former Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage declared victory Wednesday in the race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, announcing his win over Democratic State Auditor Matt Dunlap as the remaining ballots continued to be counted. The race has not yet been officially called, but LePage’s lead could deliver Republicans a congressional seat currently held by Democrat Jared Golden, who chose not to seek reelection.

As of Wednesday afternoon, LePage had received approximately 49.9% of the vote compared with 48.8% for Dunlap, with 93% of results counted, according to figures compiled by the Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ. The Associated Press had LePage at approximately 50% and Dunlap at 49.9%, with 88% of the vote reported. The narrow margin has left the outcome uncertain, with a recount possible as additional results come in.

LePage, who served as Maine’s governor from 2011 to 2019, campaigned on his record in state government and emphasized lowering taxes, reducing government waste, securing the border and strengthening Maine’s economy. He sought to return to public office after several years away from the governor’s office, arguing that his experience would help him represent the district in Washington.

Dunlap, Maine’s state auditor and a former secretary of state, campaigned on concerns about rising costs and criticized President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. He entered the race after Golden announced he would not pursue another term, setting up a closely watched contest between the two candidates.

The district has been represented by Democrats since 2019, when Golden defeated Republican incumbent Bruce Poliquin. Although the district has repeatedly supported Trump in presidential elections, Golden managed to hold the seat in recent congressional contests, making it a significant target for Republicans seeking to regain ground in the House.

Maine’s ranked-choice voting rules could also affect the final outcome. Because a declared write-in candidate is on the ballot, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the applicable vote to win outright. If neither LePage nor Dunlap reaches that threshold, the election could proceed to a ranked-choice tabulation in which lower-performing candidates are eliminated, and their voters’ next choices are redistributed.

If LePage’s lead holds and he is ultimately certified as the winner, Republicans would flip Maine’s 2nd Congressional District from Democratic to Republican control. For now, however, the race remains uncalled as election officials continue counting the outstanding ballots.