AUGUSTA, ME – JULY 17: Diane Hodges reaches for a ballot box during second congressional district ranked choice voting tabulation Friday July 17, 2020 in the Cross State Office Building in Augusta. Former state Rep. Dale Crafts won Tuesday’s initial round of voting, but did not crack 50% of the vote, which triggers a ranked runoff under Maine law. Crafts sought the GOP nomination to run against Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. His opponents, Adrienne Bennett and Eric Brakey, have already conceded and thrown their support behind Crafts.
The ranked round will reapportion the second place choices of voters who picked Brakey, who came in third.
Crafts has described the ranked runoff process as a Òdog and pony showÓ and characterized it as unnecessary because he won the initial round and his opponents have conceded. The only way he could lose the race is if a very high percentage of voters who chose Brakey marked down Bennett as their second choice candidate. Since Crafts didn’t get at least 50 percent plus one, they must complete the ranked choice voting tabulation according to Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. (Staff photo by Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

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