Maine’s 5-year shift toward Republicans runs from Portland to rural places

Maine’s shift toward Republicans runs from Portland to rural places

State Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Glenburn, sports pins and a dress purchased at the Republican National Convention at an election results party at Dysart's in Bangor on Nov. 8, 2016. Photo by Micky Bedell of the Bangor Daily News.Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between The Maine Monitor and the Bangor Daily News, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers. The propo…

Maine’s 5-year shift toward Republicans runs from Portland to rural places

The proportion of Mainers registered to vote as Republicans has grown in the past five years in a warning sign for Democrats trying to maintain control over Augusta. From 2020 to February 2025, the number of Maine registered voters declined by 1.6%. Democrat registrations declined by about 6% during that period, while Republican registrations bumped up by 7%. Unaffiliated and third-party voter registrations declined by 3%. This shift is small bu…