Sullivan oysterman Graham Platner, the Democratic challenger hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the November midterms, won Aroostook County with some towns like Orient and Westmanland voting 100% for the progressive candidate.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Platner carried all County precincts except Garfield and Moro plantations, which were tied between Costello and Mills, and Hersey, which went 100% for Mills.
Many past challengers have attempted unsuccessfully to unseat Collins, a Caribou native who has traditionally garnered strong Aroostook support. While the Republican senator has held her seat for decades, some County voters said they have soured on her recent voting record including the Big Beautiful Bill, the Save Act and voting in favor of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Platner, who began regular town hall visits to The County early in his campaign, drew voters who identified with his message of change.
Houlton health care operations consultant Nina Lipscombe, 39, who voted for Platner, said she understands why Collins has had support in Maine, especially from people who have had good experiences with constituent services. But politically, Lipscombe said she does not trust her.
“She presents herself as independent but her votes have too often protected the same systems that are failing working people,” she said. “We need votes that actually improve people’s lives.”
In his first County town hall in Houlton last October, Platner talked about the realities of life for many Mainers.
“Down here we live in a world of material reality. Down here Medicare and Medicaid cuts are not numbers on a spreadsheet, they are closing hospitals,” Platner said at the American Legion Chester L. Briggs Post 47 last year. “Down here the inability to access things like in-home care means our neighbors die alone. That is what we see down here in the real world.”
Three state races — the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries and the Democratic 2nd Congressional District primary — will go to a ranked-choice run-off because no single candidate got a majority of votes in the first count.
The ranked choice tabulation process begins at 1 p.m. this Friday, June 12 at the Maine Department of Public Safety Headquarters building, at 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta. The Department of the Secretary of State expects the tabulation process to be completed next week before the Juneteenth holiday, according to the state.
The ranked choice tabulation process is open to the public and media and will also be livestreamed on the Secretary of State’s YouTube page.
Nirav Shah has a slight lead in the Democratic governor’s race overall, but in Aroostook County, Allagash logger and former state Senate President Troy Jackson was leading with more than 50% of the vote. In some towns, like Allagash, Woodland and Grand Isle, vote tallies far exceeded state numbers with 75% to 80% voting for The County candidate.
In the Republican governor’s race, Bobby Charles of Leeds was leading in the state and County with 37% of the vote overall. Jonathan Bush of Cape Elizabeth followed Charles with 20.3% and Benjamin Midgley of Kennebunkport with 20.1%.
Frederick Sullivan, 65, a retired toolmaker from Caribou, said he voted for Republican frontrunner Bobby Charles. Sullivan said he believed Charles most aligned with his stances on major issues, including affordability and fraud.
“[We need] someone who is going to attack the fraud, clean up the fraud, prosecute the fraud, because it never seems to get prosecuted,” Sullivan said.
In the Democratic U.S. House of Representatives race, candidates Joe Baldacci, Jordan Wood and Matthew Dunlap were very close with Baldacci in the lead. There are about 1,300 votes between Baldacci and Wood and less than 400 votes separating Wood and Dunlap.
Baldacci, of Bangor, carried the state overall with 30.8%, closely followed by Wood at 29.4% and Dunlap at 28.9% of the vote. County towns like Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Houlton also went to state senator Baldacci.
In Presque Isle, Danforth, Orient, Mars Hill and Easton, Dunlap was in the lead and Wood took Dyer Brook, Amity and Island Falls.
Totals may change since some of The County’s most rural towns are still reporting numbers.
To see how your town voted, check out the Bangor Daily News results by town.
Voters in the Houlton school district passed, 711 to 201, a referendum question authorizing RSU 29 to issue bonds up to $2 million through the state’s zero interest rate Loan Forgiveness School Revolving Renovation Fund to address hazardous materials in Houlton Middle High School and Houlton Elementary School and improve insulation at Houlton Southside School.
As the district continues to keep up with maintenance expenses, the SRRF grant program is one way for them to receive 70% of the total project funding, $1.4 million, from the state to help repair the schools, according to RSU 29 Superintendent Joe Fagnant.
“We know we have been fiscally conservative and can take care of the other 30% payment to the bond bank under their zero interest, 10 year loan,” Fagnant said on Wednesday. “RSU 29 truly appreciates the support of our communities, especially from the staff at our town offices, to help prepare and pass the referendum.”
