Skip to content
elect.link
Latest
Allupdates
D Democratic · U.S. House 2, Maine · Nov 3, 2026

Matthew
G. Dunlap

Maine State Auditor and former Secretary of State running as Democrat for Maine's 2nd Congressional District in 2026

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
20
positions
11
endorsements
9
mattdunlapforuscongress.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)Bluesky(opens in a new tab)Facebook(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Opponent Paul R. LePage R Compare race →

Background

Matthew G. Dunlap is a Democratic politician from Old Town, Maine, currently serving as Maine State Auditor, a position he was first elected to on December 2, 2020, sworn in January 4, 2021, and later re-appointed on November 11, 2022, to complete a term after his predecessor stepped down. 2 He previously served as Maine Secretary of State across seven terms, including service from 2005–2010 and 2013–2020, and before that represented the former 121st District in the Maine House of Representatives from 1996 to 2004. 24

Dunlap was born in Ellsworth and grew up in Town Hill, outside Bar Harbor; he has lived in Old Town since 1989. 2 He holds a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Literature from the University of Maine, and is an alumnus of Harvard University's State and Local Government Program. 2 Before and alongside his political career, he worked in commercial food service, printing and publishing, non-profit administration, textiles, and farming, and wrote columns for The Northwoods Sporting Journal and other publications for 25 years. 210

Dunlap is the Democratic candidate for Maine's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026, general election, challenging for the seat currently held by incumbent Jared Golden. 4

At a glance

Party
Democratic
Running for
U.S. House · District 2, Maine
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Maine State Auditor
Website
mattdunlapforuscongress.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 9
    endorsement
    Bangor Daily News opinion argues debate showed Dunlap is best choice for 2nd District

    A Bangor Daily News opinion piece argued that the October 1 debate made clear Dunlap is the superior candidate for Maine's 2nd Congressional District seat.

    Debate made it clear why Matt Dunlap is the best choice in ... · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 1
    debate
    Dunlap and LePage face off in first televised debate hosted by WMTW

    Dunlap and LePage debated on WMTW, clashing over health care, affordability, fraud, energy costs, tariffs, and presidential authority. Dunlap named universal health care, labor issues, and abortion rights as top priorities. A second debate was scheduled for October 15 on WABI/WAGM; Dunlap had called for four debates while LePage agreed to two.

    Candidates for Maine's CD2 square off in debate · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sep 25
    news
    Dunlap calls for federal crackdown on price gouging amid high food and oil costs

    Dunlap proposed cracking down on price gougers as Mainers faced elevated food and oil costs, positioning the issue as a key cost-of-living concern in the 2nd District race.

    Dunlap calls for crackdown on price gougers · Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Sep 25
    poll
    UNH poll shows Dunlap leading LePage 51%-45% among likely 2nd District voters

    A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll of 627 likely voters conducted September 17–21 found Dunlap at 51%, LePage at 45%, with 5% undecided. The margin of error was ±3.9%. A February survey had shown the candidates virtually tied.

    Matt Dunlap leads Paul LePage in 2nd District race, UNH ... · Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 22
    endorsement
    Sportsmen for Dunlap coalition endorses him; he rolls out sportsmen's policy agenda

    A group of hunters and fishermen called Sportsmen for Dunlap endorsed his campaign. Dunlap also released a sportsmen's agenda addressing public-land access, hatchery upgrades, and tick control. The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine did not endorse either candidate, giving both Dunlap and LePage A+ ratings.

    Sportsmen emerge as key voting bloc in Maine's 2nd District race · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 16
    news
    Dunlap unveils senior agenda in Bangor covering elder care, housing, and transit

    Dunlap announced a senior policy platform in Bangor proposing to remove the Social Security income cap to fund elder care and housing, increase transportation funding, and expand Medicaid coverage to hearing aids and eyeglasses.

    Dunlap calls for funding elder care, senior housing and transit access · Sep 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Aug 1
    endorsement
    DCCC adds Dunlap to its Red to Blue program in late August

    The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Dunlap to its Red to Blue program in late August after his primary victory, providing support to his campaign in the competitive race against LePage.

    Why the GOP's Typical Attacks Aren't Working on This ... · Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Jun 1
    filing
    Dunlap wins four-way Democratic primary via ranked-choice tabulation, advances to general

    Dunlap won the Democratic primary after ranked-choice tabulation in a four-way race, securing the nomination to face Paul LePage in the November 3 general election for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

    Candidates for Maine's CD2 square off in debate · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • League of Conservation Voters Action Fund organization
    Lists Dunlap as endorsed for the 2026 general election; no specific date given in the endorsement listing. lcv.org
  • Sportsmen for Dunlap other
    A campaign coalition of hunters and fishermen announced support on September 22, 2026. This is not an endorsement by the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine, which did not endorse either candidate. newscentermaine.com · Sep 22, 2026
  • MoveOn organization
    MoveOn announced its endorsement in a page dated September 21, 2026 (updated October 2). front.moveon.org · Sep 21, 2026
  • Maine Education Association (MEA) organization
    MEA announced its endorsement on August 20, 2026. pressherald.com · Aug 20, 2026
  • Maine AFL-CIO union
    Maine AFL-CIO announced its endorsement on August 3, 2026. maineaflcio.org · Aug 3, 2026
  • Our Revolution organization
    Our Revolution's endorsement page was published April 14, 2026. ourrevolution.com · Apr 14, 2026
  • National Nurses United union
    National Nurses United announced its endorsement on April 2, 2026. nationalnursesunited.org · Apr 2, 2026
  • U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D–California) official
    Endorsed Dunlap on April 1, 2026, according to NOTUS's report cited by Spectrum News. spectrumlocalnews.com · Apr 1, 2026
  • Mike Michaud, former U.S. Representative for Maine's 2nd District official
    Michaud announced his support in a video, per the Bangor Daily News. bangordailynews.com · Oct 21, 2025

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$1.21M
Spent
$977K
Cash on hand
$229K

As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6ME02171(opens in a new tab)

Sources 20

  1. [1] Debate made it clear why Matt Dunlap is the best choice in ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  2. [2] Why the GOP's Typical Attacks Aren't Working on This ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  3. [3] Issues | Matt Dunlap for US Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  4. [4] LePage, Dunlap tout contrasting approaches to President ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 2, 2026
  5. [5] Candidates for Maine's CD2 square off in debate(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  6. [6] Paul LePage touts ties to Donald Trump while hedging on ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  7. [7] Dunlap calls for crackdown on price gougers(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
  8. [8] Matt Dunlap leads Paul LePage in 2nd District race, UNH ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
  9. [9] Sportsmen emerge as key voting bloc in Maine's 2nd District race(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  10. [10] Matt Dunlap : MoveOn: People-Powered Progress(opens in a new tab) Sep 21, 2026
  11. [11] Dunlap calls for funding elder care, senior housing and transit access(opens in a new tab) Sep 16, 2026
  12. [12] 2025-2026 Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Aug 28, 2026
  13. [13] Maine Education Association backs Democrat Matt Dunlap for ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 20, 2026
  14. [14] Maine teachers have blunt message for Paul LePage in backing Matt Dunlap(opens in a new tab) Aug 20, 2026
  15. [15] Maine AFL-CIO Endorses Matt Dunlap for Congress in ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 3, 2026
  16. [16] Your Vote 2026 profile: Matt Dunlap, Democrat for 2nd District(opens in a new tab) Apr 19, 2026
  17. [17] Matt Dunlap for Congress (ME-02)(opens in a new tab) Apr 14, 2026
  18. [18] Dunlap picks up Khanna's endorsement in Maine 2nd CD race(opens in a new tab) Apr 2, 2026
  19. [19] National Nurses United endorses Matt Dunlap for Maine's ...(opens in a new tab) Apr 2, 2026
  20. [20] Mike Michaud endorses Matt Dunlap to primary Jared Golden(opens in a new tab) Oct 21, 2025
Are you Matthew G. Dunlap?
Claim this page to add a statement to voters and correct your details.
Sign in to claim
elect.link

Candidate pages are assembled automatically from public web sources. Every claim links to where it came from. Nonpartisan; no endorsements. Candidates can claim their page to add a statement and corrections.