The outcome of the 2024 election reveals an uncomfortable truth: The Pine Tree State is irreparably divided.

Maine, like numerous states in our beleaguered union, has a cultural fault line between virulently incongruent ideologies. Urban, coastal areas overwhelmingly supported Vice President Harris, whereas President-elect Trump painted rural, inland Maine red. Trump has won the electoral vote of the 2nd Congressional District in three successive elections. Undoubtedly, this societal rift will still be reflected in Augusta during the 132nd Legislature.

Maine’s culturally disparate regions are mired in a loveless marriage. It is the political equivalent of the 1989 film “War of the Roses,” wherein two bitter spouses continue sharing their marital residence while undergoing brutal divorce proceedings. Spoiler alert: The movie does not have a happy ending.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way.

The notion of secession in Maine is not novel. Following the War of 1812, Maine residents felt betrayed by Massachusetts for not properly defending their region against British attacks and occupation; this fierce distrust fueled the desire for Maine statehood. Nearly two centuries later,  Rep. Henry Joy of Aroostook County proposed legislation in 1997 and 2010 to formally separate the “two Maines.” While many considered it a quixotic venture, the 2024 election should cause Mainers to reflect: What do we truly have in common?

The “two Maines” would still benefit from shared borders and mutual commerce. In exchange, we would jettison a coerced, untenable union between two fundamentally different peoples.

Ben Holmes
San Diego, Calif.