Maine's key congressional race appears to face recount as Golden Projects win • Maine Morning Star

In a key U.S. House race that was still declared too close, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden gave a victory speech on Wednesday even as his opponent said he wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet.

“Every viable path to victory for my opponent is closed, so I am here to declare victory,” the congressman told media in his hometown of Lewiston. “No Democrat has withstood stronger headwinds from the top, the pundits or the organized opposition. This race was hard fought and hard won.”

Republican challenger Rep. Austin Theriault said several times Wednesday that the race is not over.

Candidates are waiting for every vote to be counted in the close race for Maine's 2nd District

According to the Associated Press, just before 4 p.m. Golden was leading Theriault 50.4% to 49.3% with 91% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. That's a difference of about 3,700 votes.

“This race remains too close to decide. We are well within the margin that a state-sponsored, automatic recount would trigger, and every vote should be counted,” Theriault’s campaign said in a statement.

Per state law, a recount of votes can be requested any time before November 13 at 5 p.m.

The balance of power in the US House of Representatives is still unknown

As of Wednesday afternoon, it remained unclear whether Republicans would retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives as there were several close, outstanding races, including Maine's 2nd District. The GOP gained a majority in the U.S. Senate after flipping several key seats in Ohio, West Virginia and Montana.

Reaffirming a promise he made during his campaign, Golden said Wednesday he would be willing to work with another Trump administration during his fourth term representing Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

“I will work with everyone in the White House whenever I can, to the best of my ability, for the people of Maine and for the country,” Golden said.

“And if I think they are doing something that is not in the best interest of my constituents, the state or the country, I will stand up to them. I don’t care who’s in the White House.”

hours before, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the national election. Golden refused to endorse any candidate in the presidential election and repeatedly refused to say whether he would vote for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Asked about the national situation, Golden told reporters on Wednesday that wAlthough he “prefers to be in the majority,” control of the U.S. House of Representatives may not be decided for a few days, if not a week.

Golden outlined his priorities and specifically said he wanted to do this preserve Tax breaks for middle-class families from the 2017 tax package that are about to expire.

“It's really important that we extend these tax cuts to middle-class families without making the deficit worse than it already is, and find a way to pay for it,” he said.

After The Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ both tipped the race in the Democrat's favor Wednesday afternoon, Maine Democratic Party Chairwoman Bev Uhlenhake congratulated Golden on the win, calling him a “tested fighter and champion for Mainers.”

“He has delivered for the people and communities of Maine – from reducing health care costs for Maine seniors to investing in our working families to defending our fundamental freedoms,” Uhlenhake said of Golden. “Mainers want a real leader to represent them in Washington and have re-elected him to a fourth term so he can continue to fight for the people of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.”