Maine has never seen a ranked-choice primary like this one

All eyes were on a conference room in Augusta this week where staff from the secretary of state’s office were carefully compiling election results town by town so they could run instant ranked-choice runoffs. That process stretched into Thursday night, then Friday morning. Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, they hit the button and announced the results: Republican Bobby Charles and Democrat Hannah Pingree will face each other, as well as independent Rick Bennett, in the race for governor. And Democrat Matt Dunlap will square off against Republican Paul LePage to represent Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.

Our elections reporter, Matt Junker, has been keeping a close eye on the process. In his latest story, he explained why Maine has never seen a ranked-choice primary quite like this year’s set of races — and neither has any other state across the country. Ranked-choice alliances and feuds became a significant part of candidates’ electoral strategies. And for the first time, Maine saw three statewide or congressional primary races move on to instant runoffs. He also broke down how the tabulation process works and looked at questions around Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ role given her candidacy for governor.

Curious to hear more? Join us at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday at the University of New England’s Portland campus for a panel discussion. Matt will lead a conversation about the role of ranked-choice voting in the recent primaries and what it could signal for future elections — and take your questions, too. We’ll broadcast live on Zoom if you can’t join us in person. It’s free to attend, and you can register here. Hope to see you then!

— Stephanie

June 24: Join The Maine Monitor at 5:30 p.m. for an expert panel discussion on Maine’s recent primaries, the role of ranked-choice voting, and what we can take away for future elections. This event is hosted by University of New England’s School of Arts and Humanities and will be in the Newberry Room at Alumni Hall on UNE's Portland campus, as well on Zoom.

‘Ministry of presence’: One group’s homeless outreach in Bangor: Volunteers with the Greater Bangor Street Pastors spend Fridays conversing with homeless people around Bangor. It is one of several faith-based groups working on the issue as the city looks to develop a long-term plan. Read this story by Sean Scott

Why UMaine got another ‘F’ for how it teaches reading instruction: Maine’s flagship university did not provide records about its reading instruction curriculum after the National Council on Teacher Quality asked for them in a public records request. Read this story by Kristian Moravec

Maine has never seen a ranked-choice primary like this one: For the first time ever, Maine has seen three statewide or congressional primary races move on to ranked-choice voting tabulation. The previous record was two in 2018. Read this story by Matt Junker

Maine’s property tax revolt collides with reality of rising school budgets: Local officials are crashing into a heavy political reality: Deep cuts are not just unpopular, they are difficult to find. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News

Maine House candidate could win primary despite dropping out of race: Lawrence “Skip” Bessey decided to end his campaign for the Maine House’s 58th district not long after he launched the bid. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Monitor and BDN

Waterville City Council approves pilot program to expand access to opioid treatment: The decision allows paramedics to start treatment during 911 calls for the first time and link patients with ongoing support. Read this story by Makayla Morello

Lubec Shellfish Committee update: El Niño’s impact looms over Maine’s clam flats. Read this story by Ethan Bien

Rangeley officials confront major shifts in regional valuation formula. Read this story by Ashton F. LeCraw

Calais City Council presses school district on rising budget demands. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih

Lubec Board of Selectmen votes to sell foreclosed home still occupied by tenant. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih

After reduced plan fails, MSAD 58 board of directors sends full budget back to voters. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Waterville City Council advances revised budget after earlier rejection. Read this story by Makayla Morello

The Ellsworth Public Library will host a screening of The Grocery List Show on June 23 at 6 p.m. at the Conscious Cafe. Foster community and celebrate diversity through food, as well as the memories we hold dear around it.

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can also email The Monitor's editors: editors@themainemonitor.org.

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