A pivotal House race in Maine has turned into a gunfight.
It’s a showdown between Democrat Matthew Dunlap and Republican Paul LePage in a conservative and relatively pro-gun 2nd District long held by Democrats.
Hot off an endorsement by the National Rifle Association, Mr. LePage blasted Mr. Dunlap for taking money from groups that support stricter gun-control laws.
“He says he favors the Second Amendment, but he’s taken money from organizations that want to ban guns. That’s pretty clear,” said Mr. LePage, who served two terms as Maine governor. “I will never take money from organizations that want to ban guns.”
Mr. Dunlap, the former executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, has touted his hunting background as proof of his Second Amendment bona fides, despite getting endorsements and money from liberal organizations that want tougher gun laws.
Those backers include MoveOn.org, which donated $5,000 to the Dunlap campaign and the Free and Fair Democracy PAC, which in 2023 engaged in a billboard campaign in three cities for “BanAssaultRifles.com.”
Democrats have represented the district for all but four years since 1995. The district has become more conservative in recent years, and nonpartisan Cook Political Report now rates it “Likely Republican.”
Retiring Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, was mindful of the district’s conservative lean when he first won the seat in 2018 and showed off his pro-gun platform in campaign ads.
President Trump won the district in the past three presidential elections, while the statewide vote went to Democrats.
Although Mr. Golden bucked his party for five years and voted against gun-control bills, he called for a national ban on “assault weapons” after a gunman killed 18 people in Mr. Golden’s hometown of Lewiston.
Democrats believe the 2023 Lewiston shooting shook up the pro-gun district and voters will be more attuned to arguments for tougher firearm laws.
Still, nearly 50% of Mainers have at least one gun in their household. And the district’s voters might still bristle at Mr. Dunlap’s campaigning appearances with left-wing figures such as Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who wants to ban “assault weapons.”
National Republican Congressional Committee Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole made the gun case for Mr. LePage.
“Former Gov. Paul LePage always has and always will fight for the Second Amendment; the NRA knows it, and so do Mainers. Meanwhile, Matt Dunlap has taken money from anti-2A organizations and has aligned himself with gun control extremists,” she said.
The Washington Times reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for comment.
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