Matthew Dunlap, a Democrat who has served as Maine state auditor since 2022 and was previously secretary of state, is his party's nominee for the open 2nd district seat in 2026 against Republican Paul LePage.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Matthew Dunlap.
- Born
- November 26, 1964
- Birthplace
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Education
- Mount Desert Island High School
University of Maine (BA in history; MA in English)
Harvard University (Senior Executives in State and Local Government program)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Matthew Dunlap was born on November 26, 1964, in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he was raised and attended the local school system.
He graduated from Mount Desert Island High School, where he was a captain of the track team, and earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in English from the University of Maine. He also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University.
Before entering politics he worked as a textile worker, fur trapper, publishing editor, radio talk-show host, cook, waiter, and bartender.
Career
Matthew Dunlap was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1996, representing Old Town for four terms, and chaired the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
The Maine Legislature elected him secretary of state in 2004, and he held the office from 2005 to 2011, serving as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State from 2010 to 2011.
In 2012 he ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by the retiring Olympia Snowe and finished second in the Democratic primary to Cynthia Dill with 35.64% of the vote.
After Democrats regained the Legislature in the 2012 elections, he returned as secretary of state on January 7, 2013, and served until January 4, 2021, also sitting on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity from May 2017 to January 2018.
The Legislature elected Dunlap state auditor on December 2, 2020, and he took office on January 4, 2021, but he resigned that October after failing the exams required to become a certified public accountant. After obtaining the credentials, he was selected for the post again on November 14, 2022.
2026 race
Maine's 2nd congressional district covers central and northern Maine, including Lewiston, Bangor, and the state capital, Augusta.
Matthew Dunlap announced a primary challenge to Democratic incumbent Jared Golden on October 6, 2025, and continued his campaign after Golden withdrew in November 2025, leaving the seat open.
The Democratic primary on June 9, 2026, went to a ranked-choice runoff, in which Dunlap defeated state senator Joe Baldacci in the final round, 52.5% to 47.5%; Jordan Wood, a former chief of staff to U.S. representative Katie Porter, and social worker Paige Loud were also eliminated.
In the general election on November 3, 2026, Dunlap faces Republican Paul LePage, who served as governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019 and was the party's 2022 nominee for governor.