PORTLAND
The negative TV ads, robocalls and campaign fliers will soon come to an end as Mainers on Tuesday decide the hard-fought contest for president, a closely watched congressional race and high-profile referendums.
Maine is one of five states with marijuana legalization proposals on the ballot. Voters also are considering whether to overhaul elections with ranked-choice voting, impose new requirements for background checks for firearms purchases and raise the minimum wage.
Spending on the five ballot questions included $4.3 million to fund more than 10,000 television ads supporting or opposing them in Maine.
About $16 million poured into the 2nd Congressional District rematch between Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin and Democratic challenger Emily Cain.
The vast majority of more than $9 million spent by groups in the race went toward negative ads, said Anthony Corrado, a Colby College political science professor. The two candidates together also raised more than $6 million for their campaigns.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also set his sights on the sprawling, rural congressional district in hopes of snaring at least one of the four electoral votes in Maine, one of only two states that divide their electoral votes.
Trump’s message about keeping jobs on American soil resonated in the region, which has struggled in the wake of paper mill closures.
Maine’s other congressional race was between Democratic incumbent Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and political newcomer Mark Holbrook, a Republican.
Also hanging in the balance on Election Day is control of the Maine Legislature. Maine Democrats and Republicans have reported spending more than $2 million on races for the Senate, which is currently made up of 20 Republican senators and 15 Democratic senators.
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