Chellie Pingree cruises to reelection in Maine’s 1st District

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, easily won a ninth term in Congress on Tuesday, defeating two challengers to continue to represent Maine’s 1st District.
Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, had received 65.5 percent of first-place votes to 31.3 percent for Republican Ron Russell and 3.2 percent for independent Ethan Alcorn when the Bangor Daily News and its national partner, Decision Desk HQ, called the contest featuring ranked-choice voting at 9:56 p.m. Tuesday. 
Pingree, 69, who first won election to the House in 2008, was expected to beat Russell, an Army veteran who lives in Kennebunkport, and Alcorn, a Saco resident. The 1st District is heavily Democratic, covering southern Maine up to the Waterville area and the midcoast.
With a background in organic farming, Pingree sits on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. She has been the most liberal voice in Maine’s four-member congressional delegation, advocating for gun control and criticizing Israel.
Russell campaigned against Democratic border policies and gun control, while Alcorn campaigned out of an orange RV as he proposed an eclectic range of ideas, such as closing the border and decriminalizing marijuana.
“This victory reflects a shared commitment to protecting fundamental rights, addressing the urgent challenges of climate change, supporting working families and safeguarding our democracy,” Pingree said in a statement.